DAVAO CITY—The city government has launched a mobile application to inform tourists of the must-visit places and must-eat restaurants all over Davao.
The mobile app “Davao Guide” was launched through a partnership of Smart Communications and the city government to mark the 80th celebration of the Araw ng Davao.
According to Max Limpag, the creator of Davao Guide and CEO of Inno Pub, the developer of the mobile app, the app “aims to lessen the worries of tourists of their itinerary when they visit the city.”
“The aim of Davao Guide is when you visit Davao, everything you need to know, whether it’s food, hotels, tourist spots, events, or even emergency numbers are already in your phone,” Limpag said.
The app also contains a notification system that will allow the city government to inform tourists of big events that will happen during their stay here.
“Essentially, we’re tapping mobile technology to deliver tourism, cultural and historical information to the visitors of Davao,” he added.
The Davao Guide is the first mobile app accredited by the city government, Limpag stressed.
Regina Rosa Tecson, the City Tourism Officer, said with the creation of Davao Guide, the city can see more tourist arrivals, since it will make their visit here “more accessible.”
All accredited travel and tours agencies are listed on the mobile app, as well as accredited hotels and restaurants that serve Davao’s delicacies, Tecson added.
“This is a very big help to the tourism industry of the city, since it will be easier for us to reach out to tourists by informing them of our local events, and even the emergency numbers whenever they need it,” she said.
It will also be easier for the city to monitor tourists’ arrival, since their data will be readily available once a tourist downloads the application, Tecson said.
“It will boost the tourism sector. Whenever tourists will look for hotels and destinations, it will be in the mobile app. Everything will be put there,” she said, noting the app will replace brochures and maps that the tourists will carry.