An explosion of niche travel apps is reinventing the industry in unimaginable ways.

Travel no longer has to be about buying the right guidebook to locate the best hot spots. Travelers can now meet up with fellow adventurers who are staying in the same hotel, dine in a local persons home or rent out a living room for a breather after a long walk.

These new types of experiences that were never previously considered are being made possible as the sharing economy collides with geolocation technology and a generation reared on smartphones.

Forget about travel books.

Localeur, available for iOS and Android, features suggestions from locals only.

Founded two years ago at the South By Southwest conference, Localeur recently received $1.2 million in seed funding to expand its geographic reach. Whereas apps such as Yelp and TripAdvisor are all about getting the right reviews, Localeur focuses on getting the right reviewers. It plays into Millennials obsession with experiences that are authentic and local.

After youve spent the day hitting up the best Localeur recommendations, try Breather. Also available for iOS and Android, Breather is just what it sounds like, offering users a bit of peace and quiet. Think of it as Airbnb in smaller increments. Users can log on, choose from one of several spaces nearby a cool loft, someones living room or apartment and reserve it for anywhere from 30 minutes to a full day. Boston is one of the five cities Breather currently operates in, so locals might consider it for meetings and brainstorming sessions.

For foodies, eating like locals and with locals is now easier than ever.

Apps such as Eatwith, Eat With a Local (yes, those are two separate apps), Eatfeastly and more let you reserve a seat at a table in a house. With offerings that range from professional chefs to home cooks and even Fourth of July barbecues, its possible that restaurants will face serious competition when these apps go mainstream.

But maybe youre not into meeting locals. Thats where the app Hellotell comes in. It runs in the background and locates where you are staying, introducing you to other travelers who are staying in the same hotel. While this isnt necessarily my cup of tea, there is a subset of travelers that loves to meet other travelers.

My favorite new travel tech venture is Travelstarter. Its a crowdfunding site that helps entrepreneurs raise money for new travel experiences including many like the ones Ive mentioned. Current Chance projects include a coworking space for people who want to travel and work remotely around the world, and a site that matches 20-something travelers with local guides who are all part of this globe-trotting renaissance.

article source