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Travel Redefined With Insider Knowledge
Highlighted Links
VIAmigo
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - September 19, 2007) - Launched today,
VIAmigo.com (www.viamigo.com) assists global travelers in finding
authentic, localized experiences and insider adventures by connecting
them with "personal tour guides" everywhere around the world. The
personal tour guides have a platform to introduce their services and
provide insider information about how to get away from the popular
tourist attractions and experience the secrets of a city and remote
areas normally only enjoyed by locals. Travelers profit from their
knowledge by having the kinds of experiences one often only reads about.
"VIAmigo.com helps people make one-to-one connections at the best travel
destinations -- and the lesser known. We created a site that offers
something that other sites on the web don't. Not just information, but
actual one-on-one guided experiences. You can find out first hand about
the best things to see and do, information only available from people
who live in the place you're dreaming of going," says VIAmigo founder,
Jeffrey Goldsmith.
"Usually, unless you know someone in a city or find a helpful native in
a village, it would be unlikely to find the best local haunts and
beautiful natural spots off the tourist trail. The thinking behind
VIAmigo is that we allow you to easily connect with professional guides
and local cognoscenti. Everyone wants to go beyond the guidebook and
package tour, and now you can, whether you're a business traveler with
an extra day or an adventurer with a month to explore," added Goldsmith.
Key features of VIAmigo are:
-- An engaging tone which focuses on 'real' places and people who share
the same interests from art and culture, to nature and sport, to
shopping
and nightlife.
-- A simple way to contact guides with a message and details about the
kind of experience you want to have.
-- Ratings by other travelers who have gone on adventures with guides,
and a contact form that allows travelers to ask fellow travelers for
tips.
-- A friendly, easy design which allows you to research in the way that
you want to, whether it's by country, activity, the scene that you're
interested in, or the specific experiences you want to have.
-- Categories include wine, walking tours, diving, gay and lesbian
interests, safaris, language emersion, fishing, food, shopping, history,
local culture, bird watching, housing rentals and any kind of travel
adventure you might imagine.
Prior to officially launching, VIAmigo signed up 1500 tour guides from
every corner of the planet -- with many more joining each day. From
professional tourist guides, diving instructors, and archeologists to
connoisseurs of every sort, all are posting what they know, first-hand
knowledge that make travel experiences more enriching.
"When I lived and traveled in my twenties in Mexico, Japan and France,
the thing that struck me was that the people made the place," adds Jeff
Goldsmith. "The people I met on the streets of Tokyo, in the villages of
the Pyrenees and on the beaches of Tulum, are who made my experiences
special. VIAmigo.com delivers that great social dynamic to travelers
everywhere -- and to locals who want to be their guides."
About VIAmigo
Founded by a senior creative from the online advertising world, noted
journalist, and entrepreneur, VIAmigo is a privately held company based
in San Francisco. VIAmigo is a simple way for global travelers to find
adventure and culture, by connecting with like-minded people in both the
most popular, and the most remote corners of our planet. |
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