An impressive variety of nearly 40 contest entries came in from all over the world and over 5,000 votes were cast. The Top 10 Finalists attended WYSTC 2011 last week in Barcelona to yap about their apps in front of 800 delegates looking for innovative app ideas and partnership opportunities. WYSTC attendees are decision makers, holding senior-level positions in youth travel companies from over 80 countries around the world: CEOs, owners, partners, presidents, and directors.

WYSTC and its 2011 marketing partner Internet Advantage are proud to announce the winner of the first annual global App Yap Contest is… tripwolf.

From a full range of features to a sleek design to global co-branding solutions, tripwolf stood out among the rest and is a true representative of how technology can inspire and enhance young travelers’ experiences. Learn more about the tripwolf app here.

Tripwolf’s PR&Social Media Specialist Lea Hajner enthused: “Winning this award means a lot to us at tripwolf. We’ve been working very hard to constantly improve our app, add new features, and we’re now at a stage where we’re able to offer white labeling and co-branding solutions to our partners - so winning this award at the leading World Youth and Student Travel Conference really comes at a great time for us. Thank you to the jury and to everyone who voted for us. We’re absolutely thrilled!”

Choosing a winner was a very intense, difficult decision for the panel of judges. Each of the apps had impressive qualities, but tripwolf ticked all the boxes in terms of voting criteria. In order to find the best app in the youth travel industry, the apps were judged on elements such as:

• the app’s relevance and fit with the youth travel market

• content, features and functionality (how much the app helps young travelers in each step of their journeys, from the beginning till the end)

• accessibility (platforms, offline capabilities, affordability, languages)

• design

• ease of use

• potential for growth/partnerships/entrepreneurialism

• popularity/number of downloads/votes to date

Jacqueline Kassteen, Senior Marketing Executive at WYSE Travel Confederation and member of the judging panel explained: “The launch of the first App Yap Contest is particularly significant, because it marks a change in WYSTC. We are beginning to infuse technology into this conference in a new way, showing the connection between youth travel and technology trends, which educates and empowers attendees.

“The App Yap Session held at WYSTC was an ideal platform to showcase the impressive array of features and functionality the hottest travel apps offer, to inspire our delegates and to give them an avenue for partnership opportunities in the mobile app arena.”

As the winner of the App Yap Contest, tripwolf receives a prize worth over 5000 EUR, which includes two free registrations to WYSTC 2012 in San Diego and online marketing services provided by Internet Advantage.

Tripwolf will also present their app and discuss key issues and challenges in app development, as well as partnership solutions in a live webinar for the WYSE Travel Confederation and WYSTC community. The webinar will be held in November; contact us at [email protected] for more information.

Steve Lowy, founder of umi hotels and one of the judges, said, “It’s inspiring that so many businesses of different sizes have gone into this online sphere, and it shows that the youth travel industry is at the forefront of travel technology.”

The details of each app entered in the contest can be viewed online here. The Top 10 Finalists included tripwolf, TripLingo, Ask a Nomad by WorldNomads.com, TripSketch Green Book, donQuijote Phrasebook, Tourist Eye, MyInsurance by Global Secutive, Generator Hostels, TripAdvisor, and Study in the USA by InterntionalStudent.com.

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