Do smartphones make travelers dumb?

The NYT’s Frugal Traveler sparks a mini-debate about the pros and cons of travel technology

Seth Kugel is the New York Times’ Frugal Traveler; we had the pleasure of meeting him at EyeforTravel’s Social Media and Mobile Strategies for Travel conference. He mentions Tripstr in his “Tech Tips, and Warnings, for Budget Travelers” piece from the March 25th New York Times, and lots of people have signed up for early access to the Tripstr app as a result. Thanks Seth!

There are a couple interesting threads revealed in the comments to Seth’s piece, including resistance to the idea of “needing” a smartphone while traveling, particularly as a way to discover (or navigate to) points of interest. Why not use maps, and locals for recommendations? We agree that while online reviews have a place in helping people plan their trips, if those apps end up encouraging travelers to engage with their phones more than their travel partners or their surroundings, that’s a problem.

We chose not to create another “tips and reviews” app that might draw people into their phones and away from their experience. Instead, we designed an app that allows you to focus on your actual experience while you’re on your adventure, and help you relive and share it later. In fact, you need not log into Tripstr at all while you’re on the road!

We built Tripstr for people who choose to travel light, bringing only an iPhone to capture their journeys, rather than carrying a quiver of cameras and other bulky technology. While you are traveling, you simply take photos as you would normally, rather than having to log into the app constantly.

Later (say, during some down-time in your hotel room, on the flight home, or even a couple weeks after you have returned), Tripstr helps you create a beautiful story of your journey. In addition to providing a memento of your trip, perhaps your story will inspire friends to embark upon their own journeys to the places you visited.

Sure, travel apps can distract people from the present moment, and technology can encourage antisocial behavior. But here at Tripstr, we believe in the power of technology to help you share the things that make traveling such a uniquely transformative activity: the people you meet, the sights that catch your eye, the diversity of cultures and landscapes you visit, and your impressions of all these experiences.

We can’t wait to share the Tripstr app with you.