Launched on September 30th, Walkbox is an app that allows anyone to be their own guide in Portugal. Users can safely discover places and sites with a quality of content and level of detail that the company labels as unprecedented.
One of the mains goals of the app is to improve the travel experience and help visitors and locals connect deeply with incredible places and experience the culture and beauty of Portugal in an autonomous, safe and inexpensive way.
Also to become the leading self-guided walking tours mobile app in Portugal, with routes all over the country, in the city and in nature. Then will come the expansion. “In a second phase we will offer complete experiences, including self-guided tours and accommodation,” said Travelbox director, Bernardo Henriques, to Portuguese news outlet NiT. “In a third phase, and after testing the concept in Portugal, we plan to expand to other European countries, such as Spain, France and Italy.”
We want to inspire people to walk more in cities, rediscover what is often on our doorstep and enjoy contact with nature
Bernardo Henriques, Travelbox director
The app is initially available for free in Portuguese and English. The first version offers 54 self-guided routes in 8 regions of Portugal, with 300 km of walking paths to choose from, more than 1,500 points of interest described in detail with exclusive content and original photos. New routes and regions will be added regularly thanks to the content production platform developed by Travelbox.
Henriques is accompanied by Pedro Andrade, 55, entrepreneur and founder of several IT companies; and with Bernardo Pinto, 26, photographer and instagrammer with several thousands of followers.
In the 90s, I used to go on mountain bike vacations through trails in the Alps and the Pyrenees with military maps attached to the handlebars with clothes clips
Bernardo Henriques, Travelbox director
Henriques explained that the team delivered the solution using technology and content 100 percent Portuguese and hundreds of kilometers of walking through streets, hills and valleys by a specialized team focused on user experience and passionate about the culture and nature of our country.
The team wants to disseminate this knowledge and transmit this passion to the community of Walkbox users, inspiring people to walk more in the cities, rediscover what is often on their doorstep and enjoy the contact with nature.
From the second half of 2022, Walkbox will be offered with two modes of operation: Walkbox Light, which will remain free, with access to the routes and maps but with a base level of content. Walkbox Premium will be a paid model with a monthly or annual subscription, with a series of benefits including offline maps, detailed texts, audio guides, electronic discount vouchers, etc. Further details on subscriptions will be announced in 2022.
