Spotted by Locals now part of the new Google Field Trip app

Field Trip app helps users discover cool, unique and hidden things around them

05 MARCH 2013, AMSTERDAM / SAN FRANCISCO

Summary

Today, Niantic Labs at Google added Spotted by Locals to its Field Trip app, an app that helps smartphone users discover cool, unique and hidden things around them. Spotted by Locals provides Field Trip users with always up-to-date tips by locals in 46 cities around the world.

Field Trip runs in the background of a user's smartphone, and notifies the user when there's something interesting around. The app is highly customizable, and learns from the user's choices.  During travel, the app helps a user explore a city like a local.

Spotted by Locals was created in 2008 by Sanne and Bart van Poll, a married couple from Amsterdam. As two travel addicts frequently frustrated  by the obvious, touristy, impersonal, and out-of-date tips they found in their travel guides and online, they launched their own blog network, based on expertise from locals. There are now 245 locals ("Spotters") in 46 cities in Europe and North America writing about their favorite spots always keeping their tips up-to-date.

Quotes

""Spotted by Locals is a fantastic addition to Field Trip, because it offers unique, local perspectives on what's worth doing, finding & exploring." " Google Niantic Labs’ John Hanke

""It feels Field trip was made to include our locals' quirky and off the beaten path tips. We are proud to be the only travel guide publisher besides TimeOut selected by Google to be included in this very cool app."" Spotted by Locals co-founder Bart van Poll

About Spotted by Locals

Spotted by Locals is a series of blogs, PDF city guides and mobile (iPhone, Android) apps with up-to-date tips by handpicked local writers in 46 cities in Europe and North America.

news

05 Mar
Spotted by Locals now part of the new Google Field Trip app
Today, Niantic Labs at Google added Spotted by Locals to its Field Trip app, an app that helps smartphone users discover cool, unique and hidden things around them. Spotted by Locals provides Field Trip users with always up-to-date tips by locals in 46 cities around the world.
30 Jan
Europe city guide publisher, Spotted by Locals, expands to North America
Today, Spotted by Locals, a leading publisher of up-to-date city guides written only by locals, launched its New York and San Francisco city guides - the first in a series of 7 North American city guides to be published in the first half of 2013. This is in addition to the already existing 44 European city guides.
21 Feb
Spotted by Locals surpasses "big 4" travel guide publishers in Europe
In a comparative study of the travel guide's websites, online shops, and mobile app stores, Spotted by Locals calculated the amount of published Europe city guides (e-books, paper guides and mobile app guides) for the "big 4" travel guide publishers in the world. The facts: Lonely Planet: 36, Rough Guides: 25, Time Out: 18, Frommer's: 26, Spotted by Locals: 41
14 Oct
Spotted by Locals wins Guardian & Observer Best Travel Website Award 2010
Newspapers the Guardian and the Observer just announced Spotted by Locals, a publisher of cityblogs and travel guides by handpicked locals in 30 European cities, has won the award for "Best Travel Website" at the Guardian & Observer Travel Awards 2010.