Travel destroys prejudice and expands tolerance. Travelers are pushed outside of their comfort zones and exposed to different ways of living. Local people get economic opportunities and a stage by which they can continue to develop and share their unique culture with others.

As the Internet provides more links directly between individuals, travelers can find more detailed information on places, but searching for this information is still time consuming. The latest Web 2.0 tools can help travelers find information down to the smallest street corner.

Why this matters:

As the world gets smaller, it seems everything is becoming the same. But if you dive a little deeper, every place is unique and has its own story to tell. Short of hiring a local guide, you might never find this out. Greater understanding of others and their view of the world is vital to achieving peace as the world becomes smaller.

For example, in the first few days after Hurricane Katrina, people from outside the New Orleans area were suggesting that New Orleans not be rebuilt. To the residents of New Orleans, this is unthinkable. The people of New Orleans can use the tools that Geogad provides to help others see beyond the current damage and to virtually tour the city that they love and are rebuilding.

Background:

1. People love to travel and to learn about new places. As vacations get shorter and free time disappears, people don't have time to research the local histories of the places that they visit.

2. Travelers have limited time and cannot always meet the scheduling constraints of organized tour group. These mass-marketed tours may waste a traveler's time with places that do not fit their interests.

3. Local people have a wealth knowledge about their homes and favorite places but are not easy for travelers to find.

What Geogad Mobile Tours will do:

1. Create a tool for travelers and local people to share information on a very detailed level on a location-by-location basis.

2. Let travelers share and rate information on individual tour stops that influenced them with others.

3. Build a community to share the local histories of places with the people across the world.