By Yoon Ja-young
With the country heading toward the peak vacation period there are some useful smartphone apps that will add more fun for holidaymakers.
“During the summer vacation, apps using location-based information and the ones providing diverse information and content are popular,” said Lee Hyung-ki, a manager at SK Marketing and Company.
Those who haven’t decided where to go for vacation may try “Teonabolka?” or “Shall we leave?” an app offering information on the top 100 tour destinations in the country. It categorizes the destinations according to those for couples, families, singletons or groups. It offers information on tour sites, restaurants, accommodation, transportation and other facilities nearby, and works as a navigation tool as well.
The Korea Tourism Organization has a similar app, “Daehanminguk Guseok Guseok,” or “Every Corner of Korea,” which has recorded 1 million downloads in the three months since its launch. It offers information on around 30,000 tour sites, restaurants and hotels, as well as regional festivals and facilities.
Such travel apps are helpful especially when one is choosing a restaurant, as they include evaluations by other diners instead of relying on luck or hastily counting the number of cars in the parking lot.
“Smart Dial” is a useful app as it has over 650,000 places registered, in categories such as restaurants ― Chinese, fried chicken delivery service ― hospitals and car repair centers. It is convenient as one can make a phone call right away, or check the location with “T Map,” an app from SK Telecom.
Those planning camping trips should download “Anti Mosquito,” an environment-friendly mosquito repelling app using ultrasonic waves. Developed by the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, it is based on the habits of mosquitoes. The female in spawning season avoids males, so the app emits the sound of male mosquitoes’ wings buzzing to repel the blood sucking females.
Apps are available for anglers as well, offering information on which kinds of fish are easier to catch in certain weather, as well as tips on how to reel them in.
If people are traveling by airplane, “Tour Jockey” compares airline fares at the country’s major tour agencies. The user can check seat availability and schedules and make reservations for flights, as well as receive departure and arrival information for 15 airports around the country. Apps offering information on rest areas on highways, meanwhile, are popular among those traveling by car.
People can also look for information at “Smart Tour,” which recommends accommodation and restaurants and provides reviews. Users can take photos and post about their journey, which will immediately be sent to the social networking service so that they can share it with their friends.
Some apps, such as “Enjoy Haeundae,” “Gyeongju Tour,” and “Jeju Olle,” offer specialized information on specific tourist sites.