This New App For Travelers Could Change The Way We See The World
"Gypsy's the new word for jetsetter. Jetsetter is so '90s."
Andrew John Butash, 27, has his finger on the proverbial pulse of what's in and what's out when it comes to travel -- and posting all about your adventures on Facebook is so out. (Or, at least, so inefficient, Butash says, citing changing algorithms and the fleeting nature of our news feeds.)
That's part of the reason he created a social network just for travelers through his app, Gypsy Circle, after a European backpacking trip with friends.
In a world where we're always moving, Butash explains, Gypsy Circle seeks to avoid missed connections. "We're a generation of gypsies," he says. "Everyone is so mobile these days, you forget who lives where."
Here are three ways to use the app that could change the way frequent travelers use social media.
Travel-stalk your friends.
The app, which launched with new features in March, allows travelers to input their upcoming trips and receive notifications when a friend is coming to town or has overlapping travel plans.
Only friends within your network see your whereabouts and profile, and you can scan the travel feed to see what everyone is up to. Basically, the wanderlust inspo is endless.
Plan (and brag) away.
Want to post about that trip to Peru you're taking a year from now? Go for it. Were you so busy popping bottles you forgot to tell the Internet about your weekend in Vegas? It's never too late.
Other Gypsies aren't judging when you turn their feeds into your personal travel journal -- that's what they're there for.
Connect, wherever you are.
Free international messaging works within the app, making it easy to connect once you figure out who's in town. The next phase will also give Gypsy Circle the functionality of a Trip Advisor-like referral service, but with reviews and sample itineraries from your own friends, instead of strangers.
So next time you're roaming Boston or Istanbul and hunger kicks in, you won't have to wait on a WhatsApp response from that co-worker you're pretty sure went there a few months back or bank on advice from some woman named Tracey in Arkansas.
Gypsy Circle is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and is available for free in the App Store.
See more about how it works below:
