Nokia assists travelers with TripAdvisor partnership

Nokia users looking to explore the world now have a unique tool at their disposal thanks to a newly announced partnership between the mobility giant and the popular online travel service, TripAdvisor.
Available for download in Nokia's Ovi Store, the new TripAdvisor for Nokia app will help travellers find hotels, restaurants and attractions nearest their location. The application integrates with Ovi Maps, allowing users to see exactly what's around them courtesy of Nokia's handy map interface application, which also provides driving or walking instructions. Users can also use the application to filter the findings by rating, distance, and price.

"The ability to find the best places around you is a key advantage of connected mobile services," said Robert Rogers, Senior Manager, Ovi Publish. "The TripAdvisor integration means Nokia users get immediate access to the latest user reviews of the restaurants, hotels, and attractions in their immediate area, or anywhere else in the world they may want to discover while on the go."

Location-based services that aid users in finding great restaurants, hotels, and other venues have been all the rage amongst socially active smartphone users in recent months. Applications like Yelp, Urbanspoon, and GasBuddy all provide quick and easy recommendations for people on the go. TripAdvisor for Nokia, however, is the first of its kind to integrate itself into a mobile phone's native mapping service.

TripAdvisor for Nokia is available free to all Nokia smartphone users operating on Symbian OS. TripAdvisor for Ovi Maps is available in select markets, with a full worldwide release expected by the end of August.

TripAdvisor also provides applications for other mobile devices including the iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre.