Rough Guide and Punk create travel brand for iTunes

26.07.10 | Victoria Gallagher in The Bookseller

Rough Guide and Punk Publishing founders have set up a new travel brand series for the iPhone and iPad.

Cool Places covers destinations throughout Britain and are designed for use over a weekend or a week's holiday where users would previously have just used a few pages of a guidebook. Each ‘microguide’ is currently priced at £1.19 and is available from the iTunes store.

Mark Ellingham, co-founder of Rough Guides, said: "There is no doubt books are going digital over the next decade and travel books are first in line as they can offer a genuine extra dimension for travellers.

"With Cool Places, our pick of the sights, hotels, restaurants or pubs are pinpointed on a map that also shows your location, so you can see what’s near. You can read the review then touch the screen to instantly phone for a reservation, view their website or browse a gallery of images to help you decide where to go. And because apps can be constantly updated, if something changes or an interesting new bar or restaurant opens, we can update the info quickly and next time you plug in your iPhone you’ll get the updated version for free."

The guides will cover 30 destinations by the end of the summer. The ten launch seaside destinations are Bournemouth & Poole; Croyde & North Devon Coast; Falmouth; Fowey; Newquay; Padstow; Rye; South Hams; St Ives and Whitstable. Destinations coming in the next two weeks include: Bath, Cambridge, Canterbury, Durham, Winchester and York, with more destinations to follow.

The guides feature photos, reviews, ‘Cool Picks’ highlights, picture galleries, map and phone integration and additional features including a ‘random’ spin-wheel, for random inspiration on what to to, which spins when you shake your device .

Jonathan Knight, publisher at Punk, said: "These apps have been designed from the ground up – so they just feel absolutely at home on an iPhone or iPad.

"We’ve squeezed every last drop out of this exciting technology; the result is a colourful visual tour of each destination and an enhanced experience that goes way beyond the traditional guidebook."