Former students of the Czech technical university in Prague are helping with the renewel of tourism in the Czech Republic. The startup SmartGuide that they created will offer Czechs the possibility to travel safely by minimizing the risk of contracting Covid-19. Supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, the project is given support by the CTU incubator InQbay.
SmartGuide is a digital platform for smartphones where users can publish modern tourism guides for places all-around the world. The application is available for free download, the traveler is taken care of by a virtual guide as if they were local. The app benefits from the most modern technologies including geolocation with an automatic launch of audio narration, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
The Covid-19 pandemic, which had major consequences on tourism, changed the needs of tourists and tourist attractions and created new challenges. Thanks to the fast reaction of the SmartGuide platform, travelers can continue exploring the Czech Republic. The app can show them which places aren´t crowded and can help them avoid unnecessary contact with other tourists or guides. Thanks to how relevant and valuable it is at this time, the project was also given support by the Ministry of Industry and Trade as part of the smart anti-Covid-19 measures program.
“I´m glad that CTU still continues to be the home for projects which help prevent the spread of covid-19 in a very practical way. With this app, travelers can continue to discover the beauty of the Czech Republic and find out a lot of interesting and useful information. Without a live guide, they are also respecting the rules of social distancing, “said doc. Vojtěch Petráček, the rector of CTU.
„The SmartGuide application will make a literal personal guide out of every cell phone and it will guide the traveler through the main attractions as well as less known places and will tell them interesting stories about these locations, even without internet access. The app will allow visitors to discover the beauty of our country individually and in a contactless manner which will prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. Furthermore, the app will be linked to the national smart quarantine system and the app eRouška (eMask),” says Jan Doležal, the director of the SmartGuide startup company.
SmartGuide has already found success, it´s the number one Czech startup for 2020, the company also managed to win the 1st place at the Holiday World fair in Prague in the best tourism startup category. It also ranked in the top 3 among 90 Czech startups at SeedStars or in the Europe-wide startup competition by Harvard alumni.
To find out more, see: https://www.smart-guide.org/