The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp. has rolled out a mobile application to let travelers plan trips to the city.

The Go NOLA app uses augmented reality, location and personalization to show users around New Orleans. The app is available on iPhone devices with plans to launch on Android in the coming weeks.

?We need to keep up with where our visitors are getting their information,? said Mark Romig, CEO/president of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., New Orleans.

?We have seen visitors use more online tools to plan their trips and thought this app was a natural extension,? he said.

Mobile tour
Using a smartphone?s built-in camera, the app detects city landmarks, which can then be used to give tourists information about nearby places.

Additionally, the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp. app includes two celebrity-guided tours around New Orleans with Wendell Pierce and John Goodman. The company has plans to add more celebrity tours in the future.

As users find interesting things to do, they can add them to the My Trips section to plan their itinerary.

The app also uses a consumer?s location to recommend nearby dining, shopping, accommodations, nightlife and events for travelers.

Each recommended place includes a click-to-call feature, directions and information that can be shared via social media, SMS and email.

Aggregating content by recommended places is a smart way for a company to build a relationship with a user. In the Go NOLA app?s case, users might be more willing to download and interact with an app for a long-term basis if it offers them relevant, tailored content.

Virtual companion
To promote the new app, calls-to-action are being featured through out-of-home marketing and on kiosks at concierge desks around the city.

Additionally, the organization plans to continuously update the app as content to the company?s Web site is added, making the app a hub for all tourism-related content.

With consumers accessing travel-related content from their devices, the Go NOLA app is a great example of how a city can use mobile to its advantage to increase its tourism market.

Travelers are spending more time on their devices to not only research but also book travel plans.

New Orleans is not the only city boosting its tourism services via mobile.

For example, last year the Illinois Department of Tourism rolled out an iPhone and Android app to let travelers quickly find things to do while on the road (see story).

?We believe that this app was a necessary tool ? it just premiered this past week and once we continue our push for awareness, we hope people will use it to plan their trips,? Mr. Romig said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York