Lost in translation? Dubai apps guide tourists as they explore city

Visitors using the Metro Moments would get information on attractions found along the Dubai Metro route between Dubai Airport Terminal 3 and The Dubai Mall. (Courtesy Dubai Media Office)

DUBAI: It is always difficult to know where to visit when you are in a new city, but this issue might have been solved for visitors in Dubai thanks to a mobile app that offers audio guides to the city’s landmarks and historical sites.
The app-based tours, Metro Moments and Al Fahidi Architecture Tour, use audio tours to guide visitors through the city, drawing the user from one point of interest to the next in real time, depending on the person’s location.
The audio guides are available in English, Chinese and German and both tours also come in text form, accompanied by a map to help with navigation. They can be downloaded for free from Apple Store and Google Play.
International tourist arrivals in Dubai were up 6.75 percent as of November last year to 14.24 million from 13.34 million during the same period in 2016.
And people are traveling from all over the world to see the city, including India with 1.86 million visitors; Saudi Arabia with 1.43 million; the UK with 1.14 million; Oman with 791,000; China with 696,000 and the US with 564,000.
With Metro Moments, available on Voice Map, visitors are given information on attractions found along the Dubai Metro route between Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3 and Dubai Mall, where the iconic dancing fountains and Burj Khalifa are the premier tourist spots.
Meanwhile, those using the Al Fahidi Architecture Tour, which can be found on the Pocket Guide app, get an insight into the history and heritage of Dubai’s popular Al Fahidi District, part of the wider Dubai Historic District.
“The launch of these audio tours will help people from all over the world gain an enhanced understanding of Dubai and some of its most historically and culturally important sites. Moving forward, we are working to develop further applications and services that enable visitors to discover more of the city’s tourism highlights through smart, convenient and accessible platforms,” Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director of Tourism Development and Investments at Dubai Tourism, said.