Developer: App Tours UK Ltd
Price: $2.99
Version Reviewed: 1.01
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4
Having just come back from a trip to Liverpool, arguably most famous for being the hometown of The Beatles, I was pretty keen to see the arrival of an app that aims to provide a tourist’s guide to the city. Certainly if it had been around before my trip, it would have been a fantastic help even despite its limitations. You see, Liverpool Tourism Guide feels like a work in progress in places compared to other more detailed travel apps, but it still certainly fulfils the role of virtual guide.
The weakest side to the app is also the first section that users will find themselves stumbling across: the See & Do section. Listing a vast array of over 1250 locations initially looks very promising. There’s just enough detail to be of use with a photo of the venue, opening hours, website links and a brief synopsis of the benefits of the place. A tap of a button and Google Maps loads up with a guide of how to get to the location too. That’s about it all though. It all feels a little basic and functional with the addition of more detail or user reviews being noticeably missing. It’s a similar story with the Food & Drink section – varied and encompassing plenty of tastes but lacking much description.
It’s the What’s On and Special Offers section that quickly redeems Liverpool Tourism Guide. It’s still a little basic but the ease in which viewing what events are on at any given time is hugely useful. Special Offers appear to be exclusive to the app adding to the value that comes with Liverpool Tourism Guide.
The Accommodation side of the app offers plenty of choices for where to stay and will certainly come in handy for future visitors to the city. A selection of over 175 audio descriptions for places of interest is a nice touch too with the option of buying either an app that downloads recordings as and when is needed or one that is standalone without the need for a data connection.
Liverpool Tourism Guide clearly needs some more work to make it a must buy app but it’s a good starting point. For a city with such limited travel app options, it makes Liverpool Tourism Guide quite easily one of the better ones to acquire for visitors to this pleasant city.