THE UAE’s first video guide mobile application, travall, will launch its Abu Dhabi version of the app on January 31 this year as part of a planned phase launch, after rolling it in Dubai early December. As the second market to get this city-specific, free-to-download app, travall’s innovative format offers users an interactive visual experience in choosing how and where to visit in the capital.
“It’s all about capturing those ‘pre-mories’ and lining up experiences of the destination prior to getting there,” says Adam Ridgway, CEO of travall. “Not only can ‘travallers’ check accommodation, dining, venues, clubs, malls, exhibitions and clinics by watching a 30- or 60-second video, but they can also film their own 15-second VideoReview – a first of its kind in the UAE. Each video is reviewed by us before being uploaded to the app for others to view.”A UAE-developed brand, travall aims to change the way tourists and residents in the UAE review and book various activities. travall clients currently on board include Saadiyat Beach Club, St Regis the Residences, Etihad Towers Residences, Royal Suite Hotel Apartments and Royal Pavillio Villas. Other key features of the app include building an itinerary for one’s trip, making reservations, sharing details on social media, rating and reviewing an outlet, redeeming free vouchers and taking advantage of last minute promotions which are uploaded weekly. In addition the most engaged users will earn points towards prizes and rewards, totalling $100,000 at the moment.Abu Dhabi is gaining traction as a tourism destination worldwide. It has been named among CNN.com’s top 10 destinations for 2015, along with Milan and Downtown Los Angeles. “At the heart of Abu Dhabi’s reinvention is the 24,000-square-metre Saadiyat Island Cultural District,” says the site. “This intellectual playground is set to house the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017, the Zayed National Museum in 2016 and, if all goes according to plan, the Louvre Abu Dhabi – the first Louvre Museum outside Paris by the end of 2015.”Users can currently download travall (for Dubai and Abu Dhabi) free from the App Store or Google Play for all iOS and Android users. “In 2015, we are taking the brand international to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, South Africa and the USA,” concludes the CEO.