Swedish Startup Surpasses 2.5M Downloads – Expands to China
Following in the footsteps of Swedish Internet sensations such as Skype and Spotify, Stockholm-based start-up GuidePal has become the most downloaded and fastest growing city guide app for mobile. And with more than 2.5 million downloads and thousands of active users each day, the company is now to expanding into China.
GuidePal offers tailor made city guides to many of the world's most popular travel destinations. The ambition is to take the traveler beyond the usual tourist traps by relying on carefully picked tips by local experts.
- Guides like Lonely Planet and Condé Nast often fall short because they try to cover everything. We rather give you one really good tip that you will want to share with all your friends when you get back home, says GuidePal CEO Peter Schierenbeck.
The selective city guides has quickly become popular by dainty travellers and is now released in Mandarin. This quickly doubled the number of downloads and GuidePal are therefore expanding into China, opening an office in Shanghai this December.
- As a result of the social and economic growth in China, more people are now raveling outside of the Chinese borders, which makes it an highly interesting market when it comes to mobile travel apps, says Yuling Tan, GuidePal Regional Manager in China.
A 2011 study conducted by World Travel Organization stated that nearly 60 million Chinese people traveled outside of China during 2010, a number that is expected to reach the 100 million mark within the next ten years. And with 485 million Internet users and counting, the market for mobile applications has much to offer.
GuidePal’s Shanghai office will open its doors during December 2011 and the goal is have four additional employees by the end of 2012, along with freelance experts who will continue to improve and develop the Chinese City Guides.
-Ends-
For further information and media enquiries please contact:
Peter Schierenbeck, CEO GuidePal Group
Tel: +46 70 950 00 94
E-mail:
peter@guidepal.com
GuidePal provides free city guides via mobile platforms (iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone), covering more than 60 major destinations across the globe. With over three million downloads, GuidePal is constantly expanding its portfolio and has offices in London, Shanghai, and Stockholm. All content is created by a unique collaboration between locals and leading travel journalists who handpick the best their city has to offer, ensuring that the traveller has an authentic and in-the-know experience with GuidePal.