Self-Guided Tour App: Features, benefits & 6 best solutions in the market

Learn why the self-guided tour app is trending in modern tourism. Check out top apps, benefits, and how to build your own with expert guidance. 

Lately, the self-guided tour app has changed the way tourists tour new destinations. People who travel today usually have more freedom to choose their activities. As a result, more travelers prefer to have more choices, flexibility, and personal touches in their trips. Therefore, more people have chosen self-guided tours, where they go at their own pace, using only their phones and helpful applications. 

Because of its useful features, a self-guided tour app now appeals to most travelers. Nowadays, people prefer trips that suit their interests and availability. Thanks to GPS maps, music, movies, and inside information, these apps provide a smoother and richer way to visit new places. For these reasons, more people are utilizing this technology when traveling independently or working in the travel industry. 

Due to the self-guided tour app, why it is so popular, what industry leaders must include for a great app, and the benefits of developing it for tour companies. In addition, you’ll learn about some top-rated apps and see how Adamo Software benefits your self-guided tour efforts.

I. What is a self-guided tour app, and why has it become popular?

With a self-guided tour app, travelers can discover different places at their convenience, on their own. People who value being flexible, independent, and personal in their trips usually find this way of traveling appealing. 

Tourists can use these travel apps to plan their activities freely, navigate different cities, and access the latest information whenever needed. Self-guided tours don’t require much preparation and are perfect for last-minute trips within the city. They attract expert travelers who prefer to organize their activities and see the local sights. 

More people are using the self-guided tour app because mobile tech has advanced, and travelers prefer alternative ways to tour. Tourists now rely on convenience and the internet more when they travel to different places. You get to enjoy engaging media, listen to guides, use GPS, store information offline, and receive inside tips, each of which enhances your travel. Also, travelers enjoy traveling safely and eco-friendly. The self-guided tour apps are ideal since they don’t require busy groups or printed booklets. Because of these elements, self-guided tour apps have become preferred for those traveling today. 

It is also apparent in the global market. The mobile travel application industry recorded income of $1.29 billion in 2020. It is expected to surpass $3.2 billion by 2026 due to its rapid popularity in the tourism industry. The self-guided tour app is now a must-have in the way people travel. Offering a self-guided app allows tour operators and businesses to attract solo travelers and earn money from extra services and special offerings available in the app. Because many people are now looking for interactive travel experiences, self-guided tour apps will play an even bigger role in guiding adventures worldwide.

II. What are the must-have features of excellent self-guided tour software?

Developers should concentrate on making features that are meaningful for visitors and tour agents. Tourists today are looking for more information than just how to get to certain places. They require content that matters, support in real time, and an easy way to move from page to page. At the same time, companies require simple methods for handling, updating, and offering tours. Below is a list of important aspects that each great self-guided tour app should offer: 

1. GPS Navigation and Offline Maps

An effective self-guided tour app should have GPS navigation that works as you go. It allows users to select routes and find nearby attractions, so they do not get lost along the way. GPS supports an automatic start of audio or information when the user arrives at the chosen place. Offline maps are just as necessary for a good navigation app. It enables users to read your content and go through different sections while offline. 

Therefore, it can be useful abroad or in covered areas. The offline mode on the app makes people more satisfied, and they decide to use it more often. The reason is that not everyone can trust their mobile data, and roaming costs are not cheap. 

2. Rich Multimedia Content (Audio, Video, Images, and Text)

Multimedia helps to involve and excite people on tours. The best self-guided tour apps have audio narration, pictures, short films, and descriptions at each place you visit. Audio guides are useful since they let people learn about the place as they walk without using their hands. Showing images and videos gives the traveler a better idea of the past and modern life at the destination.  

This part of the tour brings extra enjoyment for guests and helps them relate to where they are. Multimedia makes tourists more interested, using the app for longer, and awarding better ratings. 

3. Personalized and Customizable Itineraries

Travelers are all different from one another. A few people enjoy spending their time at museums, while others are drawn to nature or food. It’s important for a good tour app to let visitors decide on the locations they want to visit. Users can find routes suggested for them by their interests, timing, area, or how tough they want it to be.  

Travelers should be allowed to keep their favorite sites on hand, quickly skip any travel stops, or change their itinerary. With personalization, every user gets a custom experience, which makes them enjoy using the platform more often. Apps that suggest what you should do and allow you to customize plans are usually more popular.

4. Multilingual Support

Considering that visitors come from all around the world, your app must be available in many languages. When your pages are available in different languages, international users enjoy it more. It allows users to use the app without difficulty due to the different languages. It enables tour operators to expand their markets by leaving their content unchanged. Building customers’ confidence and making the experience better is largely based on localization.

5. Push Notifications and Real-Time Updates

Keeping people updated in real time is necessary today. It is useful to send push notices when there are sudden changes related to the weather, places being closed, or traffic. Users may be notified about places to see, stops for a break, or sales near them. Using this function, you get to improve the experience for your followers and engage with them more. This solution can improve users’ activity and help them have a smoother experience.

6. Cloud-Based Content Management System (CMS)

It should be easy for tour operators to edit and upload content on their websites. The CMS used by a self-guided tour app should run in the cloud and let businesses handle tour making without coding. From the same dashboard, they can provide new stops, add files, change prices, or set new schedules. Therefore, operators can continue to give tours that are enjoyable and stay up-to-date. A CMS that is easy to use, cuts down on your expenses, and promotes quicker growth as a tour provider.

7. In-App Purchases and Monetization Options

Being able to make money is the main advantage of building a self-guided app for tours. Tour operators can increase their income by offering premium tours, downloadable content, and unique events for users. There may be opportunities in the app to buy extended tours, discover special offers, or get deals with nearby shops.  

This feature enables companies to make more money without expanding their facilities. Adopting digital revenue models lets travel businesses stay ahead and perform well in the long term.

8. Review, Rating, and Feedback Tools

Getting feedback from users allows the app to become better and earn the trust of newcomers. A good self-guided tour app needs to let travelers leave their opinions, write reviews, and report on what can be better. Reviews help first-time users with their choice, and developers or tour operators can benefit from them to improve their tours. The existence of two-way communication gives the app more credibility and helps users Stay in the system. Displaying reviews in the app can greatly improve both the number of conversions and the user experience. 

A good tour app should give tourists the information they need and support what tour operators can provide successfully. Having GPS navigation, rich multimedia, personal customization, multilingual support, constant updates, an advanced CMS, monetization choices, and a feedback system helps your app succeed among others. These functions improve the traveler’s experience, boost revenue, make the company grow, and reach people from many countries. Since more people look for tech-powered, independent trips, it’s now necessary to have a solid self-guided tour app. 

III. Benefits of investing in self-guided tour app development  

People in the travel industry are now looking for experiences that are available when they want and made with technology. Using a self-guided tour app, people can discover places on their phones when it suits them the most. Developing a self-guided tour app helps travel companies, tour operators, and tourist destinations a lot.  

These applications make customers more content, help cut costs and allow businesses to seek new sources of income. The main advantages of making your self-guided tour app are listed here in today’s digital age.

1. Increased Revenue Opportunities

With a self-guided tour app, tour providers are allowed to use the same space for different earnings. Operators might set up paid tours or choose to distribute short entertainment for free, with extra options to upgrade.  

In addition, owners receive income from in-app purchases and deals with nearby companies. With the app listed online, you can continue to expand your business without the need for more resources or more workers. Running a self-guided experience is inexpensive compared to a guided tour, and it draws more users, so the profit is greater.

2. Lower Operational and Staffing Costs

Traditionally, setting up guided tours means having to arrange schedules and find and train guides. A self-guided tour app takes care of all these requirements. When your content is all set and uploaded, it can reach many people at the same time. It greatly lowers business costs and keeps the standard of service high. Digital tour apps by companies let them be more efficient, handle tasks without staff, and welcome tourists at any time.

3. Enhanced Customer Experience and Freedom

Independence is crucial to travelers today. Tourists can use the app to visit different places when it suits them. Tourists may stop when they like, pass through attractions they do not want to visit, or uncover places connected to their liking. Having this freedom makes the game more enjoyable and unforgettable. Flexible individual tours are more appreciated and gain better feedback than plans set up for whole groups. Apps used to travel will be recommended or used again if there is a lot of freedom for tourists.

4. Wider Market Reach and Scalability

Anyone can use a self-guided tour app from anywhere in the world at any moment. Paleontologists do not need to be in a certain place or time when doing their work. You may choose to develop tours for people looking for adventure, vacationing families, solo travellers, and those seeking experiences with cultural activities. Touring apps with different languages encourage tourists worldwide.  

This widens the audience using the app. When more people use your app, more people get to know your brand, making your business stronger and growing.

5. Real-Time Analytics and User Insights

Data controls the way things operate. A self-guided tour app can collect facts like well-liked routes, their time spent at each stop, their interests, and comments. Thanks to this approach, operators make informed choices, boost the quality of their content, and prepare for new tours. Having real-time analytics on hand leads to faster business improvements and shows the products that users enjoy most. With the data, you can make your tours better, try new things, and anticipate market movements.

6. Eco-Friendly and Paperless Solution

A tour app means you can skip printed brochures and maps, so there is no need for them. Consequently, people are more focused on sustainable tourism, and it matters more to governments. Switching to digital supports the environment and is in line with efforts of tourism to become green worldwide. Businesses should use app-based tools as a responsible and intelligent way to give information and experiences.

7. Competitive Advantage in a Growing Market

If more people start using mobile travel features, having an app that provides several self-tour options can help you. By giving travelers high-quality tours right on their mobiles, you can challenge the large tour operator industry. Tourism needs digital transformation now, since it is not just a fad. Firms that were among the first to use app technology have done well in the market. When you invest in innovation now, your business will be ready for tomorrow.

8. Long-Term Brand Building and Customer Loyalty

Using a personalized travel app turns it into an important part of your customers’ overall travel experience. People who enjoy using your app usually return, give good reviews, and suggest it to others. By sending push notifications, loyalty rewards, and custom suggestions, the app helps its users keep coming back after their trip. Providing excellent UX and useful information through apps can help businesses retain their customers for a longer period of time. 

Having a self-guided tour app helps travel businesses improve their operations over a longer period of time. Reducing expenses, reaching additional markets, enhancing users’ experience, and supporting sustainability are some of the benefits. Since tourists are increasingly using their phones, making a good self-guided tour app is now essential for a company to thrive. When you develop your app, you ensure you stay ahead, grow, and make profits in the global tourism market.

IV. Top 6 self-guided tour apps in the market

In the tourism industry, technology is playing an important role, and self-guided tour apps are seeing fast growth. Many tourists find it useful to get guided by mobile apps that let them explore places in their own time. No matter if the location is famous or hidden, these apps guide you on the spot through your smartphone. Here are the six standout self-guided tour app platforms that are affecting the industry’s development. 

1. Goosechase

You can think of Goosechase as an app that encourages exploring various destinations using a game-like approach. It enables users to make tours where players complete tasks, solve puzzles, and visit certain places. People choose this app for excursions with schools, team-building sessions, and trips around the community. It has a real-time leaderboard, photo challenges, and allows users to customize content.  

These make it interesting for almost all ages who travel. Interactive tour creators choose Goosechase since it is flexible and designed for mobile use, so no advanced technical skills are needed.

2. STQRY Guide

With rich media, STQRY Guide provides easy access to arts, culture, and history through a personal tour app. Museums, galleries, cities, and historical locations use audio, video, images, and maps to tell their visitors many stories. Users can turn on triggers when in a certain area and explore in their native language and English. STQRY provides access even if they are not connected to the internet.  

So, it’s a good choice for travelers to faraway or international places. With the app, institutions can offer interesting digital stories and make visitors engage more through their phones.

3. Loquiz

Loquiz enables businesses to create game tours based on their location. Being an app for self-guided tours, it is designed for outdoor activities, games in the city, and challenges for teams.  

With the editor, tour designers may set up rules and actions to ensure the visitor finds an exciting and interactive route during their visit. You can use QR codes, navigational maps, videos, and photos with Loquiz. It benefits those who want to add something special to their tours and plan something interactive for visitors.

4. Tripscout

As a travel discovery and planning self-guided tour app, Tripscout presents ideas and recommendations from local specialists. The app provides detailed information about various places, offline maps for easy orientation, local tips, and an audio guide. All the destinations are full of attractions, helpful tips, and suggestions for food, shopping, and leisure time.  

Tripscout makes every trip a unique experience with local understanding and live updates. The user-friendly design and excellent recommendations allow people to travel independently.

5. Pocketsights

Pocketsights enables individuals to create and put together self-guided tours, which can be shared with others. The app makes it easier for local historians, educators, and tour groups to show their towns and neighborhoods’ cultural and historical background.  

With GPS on, the app guides users from one attraction to the next. It shares plenty of text, photos, and multimedia for every stop. You can use it for public or private tours, and many local boards, schools, and companies also use it. Since tours are easy to create, Pocketsights is a good choice for grassroots storytelling.

6. VoiceMap

With VoiceMap, stories start playing automatically through GPS on your phone when you walk, cycle, or drive in a given place. The museum’s app features several professional audio tours in over 300 cities worldwide. Narrated in the region by those who work with history, local stories, and news, VoiceMap’s content is one-of-a-kind. To use it, you can attach your headphones and go, because the app provides audio wherever you are. It works offline, updates maps with several travel options. Therefore, it is among the leading self-guided travel apps available today. 

They all show what a self-guided tour app is capable of. Every kind of traveler and any location offers things to do, from gamified tours to cultural stories to audio explorations. The growing interest in travel apps demonstrates that travelers prefer to leave their plans flexible and look for technology-based options. Due to the rising desire for immersive travel, a self-guided tour app will give businesses in tourism an advantage. These six cases show how mobile technology is changing how people travel in the future.

V. How Adamo Software can help

Adamo Software is an established Vietnamese firm that mainly specializes in developing software for travel and hospitality. Adamo’s experience goes back more than a decade. In that time, we have created more than 200 digital solutions for clients worldwide, mainly in software development, apps, and consulting.  

Since we offer tailor-made services based on knowledge of how users act and the market, Adamo is favored for developing tour apps. We design the user interface and user experience creatively. We link them to solid backend systems, making the apps suitable for large-scale use and secure. Regardless of whether you’re in tourism, a travel agency, or part of the community, Adamo helps to create your digital tours. 

Using the most modern technologies like GPS, working offline, integrating AR/VR, and supporting several languages, Adamo ensures our self-guided tour apps are captivating and easy to get around with. We take care of the entire product process, such as confirming an idea, building prototypes, developing them, testing them, and maintaining them. Adamo links booking engines, CRM, and content management systems through an API to make things easier for users. Because Adamo works in over 15 countries and industries, your tour app will be shaped to fit the needs of all users. 

The main thing that sets Adamo apart is how strongly we value long-term worth. According to the information on Adamo’s website, we rely on agile principles and update the product regularly by looking at user response and monitoring results. With a group of 150+ skilled builders working for you, Adamo creates solutions that stay true to your brand and what you want from your business. Not just downloading an app, but making a full, environmentally friendly tourism system is what you get with Adamo.