By Emeka Aginam

The difference between a good and bad travel experience lies in the traveller’s access and use information to plan.

From selecting a travel route to buying tickets and selecting activities, information plays a key role in deciding the objectives that will ultimately be used to describe the trip.

My trip to “the land of the rabbits” was done on the instance of Google, as part of activities aimed at demoing the power of its digital and mobile tools to create more enjoyable and stress free travel experiences.

However, 65 Journalists were selected from across the EMEA region to experience Madrid using Google digital maps.

Before embarking on the trip, i had to test the Google Now app by asking it a question “OK Google, when does my flight leave?”. Within seconds, the app accessed my flight reservation and created a travel card, announcing that Lufthansa German Airline will be leaving Lagos to Frankfurt in the next three hours. It even went as far as telling what time i had to get on the road to be able to arrive early at the airport.

And once we arrived in Madrid, the rules were very simple. All the participating Journalists   had to navigate their way around several pre-selected spots located in a predominantly Spanish-speaking side of Madrid using only a Motorola Nexus 6 device. This can be called the Google’s version of the famed Gulder Ultimate Search.

Experience

One thing was clear.
Exploring Madrid using the Nexus 6 android smart device had retooled all participating Journalists who explored the hidden gems in the city Madrid using Google digital maps launched 10 years ago.

The city tour aimed to use location based services and data buried in Google Maps to locate interesting facts and places as the participants engage in the search for unique historical places in Madrid.

The Google tools which have revolutionized the world of digital maps with more than one billion user across the globe have become the de facto interface between the the physical and the digital world, helping people to locate their destinations without asking anybody the location where they are going or navigating.

For one thing, the latest features in Google Maps make it easier to navigate, and to avoid heavy traffic. The apps also automatically show you congestion on the route, among others.

This is just one way Google is trying to make travel easier for users, with a number of new apps and updated tools.

Challenging and exciting

At the end of the tour, it was
an exciting and challenging experience for the participating Journalists who were armed on how best to use Google app calendar, Voice search, Street view and Business view, Google maps, Google translator, Google photos, auto backup, among other useful tools one can use for smart living.

Accordingly, the tools can also help the users know weather condition and especially traffic situation affecting most African countries especially.

The exploration of Madrid lasted for more than four hours on the first day which commenced on Sunday morning, ( 25th, April, 2015) when the participating Journalists were divided into two groups.

Each group had searched for the hidden gems in the city of Madrid including the oldest restaurant in the world called Botin established in 1725, former medieval commercial heartland, statue paying homage to the capital ´s hard working road sweepers, classical Madrid Traven founded in 1908 where the locals hangs out to drink vermouth in town, among others historical places.

To further explore other hidden places in Madrid which houses the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), belonging to the United Nations Organization (UN), the SEGIB, the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB), the participating Journalistson Monday also embarked on guided electronic bike tour through the city where they were introduced to historical places including Oldest market in Madrid, Antic Courtyard among others.

Speaking to Journalists before the city search, Daniel Sieberg, Global Head of Media Outreach, News Lab of Google told Journalists in his opening remarks that the whole essence of 2015 Google in Madrid ; Exploring Madrid using Google tools was to show Journalists how best to use Google digital map in their daily lives.

The tools, according to him if well utilized will go a long a long way in making lives of Google MAPs apps users easier and meaningful as they navigate to different places.

¨”Google tools help you with all the information you need to navigate to anywhere. The tools help you to live smartly in the knowledge based society. It can tell you weather condition in a particular time and place. It can tell you nearest restaurant, shops, or anything you want. It can also tell you about traffic information and help you to take informed decision on which route to take. T he Google digital maps make life meaningful for the users. “, he said, adding that , Google will continue to make travelling experience more exciting and easier for people all over the world.

Speaking on Google street view tracker , a wearable backpack with a camera system on top introduced in 2012, he explained that it was all part of Google Map´s efforts to make the world´s diverse heritage and beauty accessible to everyone.

He informed that contently, there are more than one billion monthly active users of Google Maps services, adding that street view image is available in more than 66 countries, as well as parts of the Arctic and Antarctica featuring penguins.

Whether you want to explore faraway sites or some of your neighbourhood’s most beautiful parks, street view, he explained that the tracker can let you virtually tour these places before you go.

Earlier before the trip, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Anglophone West Africa Communications and Public Affairs Manager had explained that smartphones with online tools like Google Maps, Google Now and Google Translate are beginning to replace printed maps and books. “One of the pleasures of travelling to a foreign city is researching the little differences that make our trip worth it.

“Traditionally, guide books have always been the best place to find these hidden gems, but today’s tech-savvy, hyper-connected holiday makers are turning increasingly to the internet for their travel preparations.

“Unlike travel books, dedicated travel apps like Google Maps can be updated on a daily basis to reflect the realities in the travel destinations. Our hope is that a lot more Nigerians will through these tools find travel a lot more fun and hassle free.”