Bird Apps launches ‘Odigos’ app to help travellers select and book tour-guides on the go
Bird Apps a venture by Bird Group, has launched Odigos, a marketplace app that provides an opportunity to select and book a travel guide on the go.
Odigos facilitates a connect between expert tour guides and travellers according to preference of years of experience and languages spoken with a simple tap anytime anywhere. Be it a local who wants to explore the city, or a visitor who wants to discover monuments, historical sites, go for wedding shopping or even enjoy a guided nightlife experience, Odigos ensures a smooth, transparent and hassle free experience. A pre-booked guide saves the hassle of looking for a guide after reaching the spot. Odigos ensures a safe experience for its tourists through diligent checks and screening of each tour guide before taking them on board. Women travellers may also select the services of a woman guide.
“Travel industry is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing industries and in this fast-paced world tourists prefer a hassle free and safe travel experience. Through Odigos we ensure that domestic as well as international travellers can make most of their travel time by booking an appropriate guide who provides them with an itinerary, curated, customized and charted out especially as per individual requirements. Most of the Odigos guides are certified by the Ministry of Tourism,”said Dr Ankur Bhatia, executive director, Bird Group.
For tourists, Odigos provides information such as the profiles of tour guides, their background details, packages and areas of expertise enabling the tourist to make an informed decision. It saves time and eliminates the hassle of negotiation by providing a convenient option of pre-booked guides who can meet at the choice of venue, at a transparent service fee. A tourist can book a guide by making 50 per cent advance payment online through any of the commonly used credit & debit cards or through net-banking.
On the other hand, Odigos strives to organise the disorganised market for tourist guides as well as create job opportunities for them. It aspires to create 5,000+ tour packages by 3,000+ tour guides in more than 10 cities in India in 2018. The app provides a platform to the guides for showcasing their experience, expertise and language proficiency. Guides can interact with tourists in real time, understand their requirements and offer them curated packages. Not only does Odigos act as a distribution platform for tour guides, it also serves as a mini enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool, allowing the guides to access bookings, schedules and payments. This ensures that their work schedules are more organised and there is no risk of no shows.