People power has made UGC film or restaurant review websites/blogs as influential as the professional critics, and now this trend has moved on to the humble tour guide...

What could be better than having an insider walk you through his or her favourite spots in a new city or travel destination? That is exactly what Chicago-based AudioSnacks is now offering consumers - users can download audio tours of select destinations and can put up their own tours for purchase.

Many of the large bank of USG tour guides also feature downloadable maps to accompany the audio files, and customers can listen to a sample snippet of a tour before deciding to purchase.

Already there are tours available for destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South Africa and more. Customers get a unique perspective and insights: they can take an audio tour through Chicago with a Jewish hip-hop poet, for instance, or see the sights in New York with a cool DJ. Since members are encouraged to create and upload their own tours, the library is likely to grow quickly.

The brand is also building a new category, offering campus tours for prospective students who look lost even with a map, and are keen to get the insider tour on where they will be spending their university years.

http://www.audiosnacks.com