Next-generation technologies are changing the ways we travel, and these new advancements promise an even more interactive and exciting experience writes Himanshu Kumar.

The world is on a constant move and with people travelling more than ever, the industry ought to constantly transform and enhance itself in numerous ways. Travel industry is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing industries and in this fast-paced world tourists prefer a hassle free and effortless travel experience.

Next-generation technologies are changing the ways we travel, and these new advancements promise an even more interactive and exciting experience. Technology is now trying to organize the marketplace by slowly squeezing maximum functions and roles into one tiny app. From streaming music online to reading books & listening to podcasts and now even finding better travel experiences through Odigos, one can do it all with a few clicks.

An offering by Bird Apps (a venture and Innovation lab at Bird Group), Odigos is an online marketplace that connects tourists to certified guides across India. It helps you discover India with 500+ verified guides and locals, and 2000+ tours. Odigos tour guide app and website help travellers explore the nuances of 70+ cities and have a positive travel experience in India. In line with the expectations of today’s travelers, Odigos empowers its users by assisting their demand for immediacy in booking guides when they land at a place along with a seamless experience and also helps guides by providing them a digital platform to showcase and promote their packages.

To find good tours when visiting a new city, one can do it through a travel agency or check with the hotel they are staying in to find if there are any good places to take a tour. Agencies may provide packages at sky high rates showcasing regular tours while hotels may often have only a few choices that you can choose from with no real idea about the quality. This is where Odigos comes into play.

Odigos helps you find tours or guides in across India, with tours typically charged per experience rather than per hour. To use the service, one must simply enter their destination within India and the number of adults and children in the group. One can then get a list of potential tour guides relevant to the place and can provide good local experiences, including food tours, workshops, night tours and other activities.

Odigos is particularly good for families and individuals with many activities categorized as family-friendly. For international tourists looking to find a platform that is transparent in nature and shares all the details of the guises and tours beforehand, Odigos is the place to go. Our guides help you discover everything there is to see, from heritage sites and popular market places, to beautiful gardens and food trails and the hidden gems in the city.

Odigos ensures a safe experience for its tourists through diligent checks and screening of guides before taking them on board. It comes with a unique offering for women travellers who can also select the services of a woman guide.

India has a tremendous cultural heritage potential, and in a bid to live up to its commitment to promote heritage tourism in India, BirdApps (part of Bird Group) has developed ‘Audio Odigos’ - a mobile audio guide app for visitors, under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project by the Ministry of Tourism (Government of India). In an attempt to popularise lesser-known places with tourism potential in the country, the ministry has come up with the facilitator programme. The ‘Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchan’ project is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and State/UTs Governments. It aims to involve public sector companies, private sector companies and corporate citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable. Technology has revolutionised tourism as it has improved communication, reservations, and guest service systems across the spectrum. Developing this app is an attempt to enhance the heritage tourism experience, making it smooth and informative and giving the visitor an opportunity to explore as much as he likes at his own pace.

The app ‘Audio Odigos’ aims to become a personal tour guide that will help travellers/locals discover the rich heritage of India through immersive audio-guided tours. All the listener has to do is download the Audio Odigos app, select the city and preferred language and explore the many iconic sights, with ministry verified content. The app includes English, Hindi, Japanese, Korean and vernacular languages. Listeners are offered various versions of history like Synopsis, Detailed History and Podcasts.

These initiatives and endeavours of Bird Apps aim to contribute towards enhancing the travel experience of domestic & international travellers, promote the Indian culture and heritage and augment heritage tourism.