eTips

What eTips does

eTips operates a consumer mobile application under the brand "Tours & Travel" that delivers GPS-triggered, audio-guided city tours for independent travelers. The core product is a single iOS app (distributed via the Apple App Store under the Paris Travel Guide listing) that synchronizes curated audio storytelling with the user's real-time GPS location, combines built-in wayfinding and a live map for stress-free orientation, and is engineered to function offline to eliminate roaming charges and connectivity dependence. The company positions its offering against group tours and scripted tourist commentary, emphasizing self-paced exploration for solo travelers and individuals who prefer flexibility over scheduled group experiences.

The business model is direct-to-consumer via the Apple App Store, monetized through one-time purchases of tours or tour access (a license-style revenue model), with no disclosed subscription tiers, advertising, or B2B licensing. Distribution is single-channel (App Store only; no Google Play presence is indicated), and customer acquisition appears to be organic through content marketing on the company's website and app-store discovery, with no explicit paid marketing function identified. The company is incorporated in California as Tours & Travel Inc., headquartered in San Jose, and is privately held, profitable, and self-funded with no institutional venture capital or external funding rounds disclosed.

Operationally, eTips runs with a lean team of approximately six identified members (CEO Gonzalo Juarez, CTO Jorge Luis Herlein, Content Manager Debora Pardes, Backend Leader Daniel Higa, Product Manager Nicolas Juarez, and Mobile Leader Luis Alberto Salcido), suggesting a small, founder-led execution unit. Its geographic footprint today is effectively one live city (Paris), with New York City announced as "coming soon," Istanbul in development, and Barcelona planned — a deliberate, city-by-city rollout strategy. There is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities, no enterprise customers, no partnerships, no patents, and no regulatory actions in the input data, leaving the company positioned as a niche, content-driven consumer travel app rather than a platform play.

Name

eTips

Legal name

Tours & Travel Inc.

Website

https://etips.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

eTips (operating as Tours & Travel) is a San Jose-based, self-funded mobile app company that sells GPS audio-guided city tours via the Apple App Store. It serves independent and solo travelers seeking self-paced, offline-capable exploration, with Paris live and three more cities in pipeline.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Mobile Apps

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Destination/Activity Booking Marketplaces (Tours & Tickets Aggregators) (THAKAAAH), Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ)

Keywords

• GPS audio tours
• Mobile travel apps
• Self-guided city tours
• Audio travel guides
• Tourism mobile software

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Mobile App Sales: Revenue generated through direct app sales via the Apple App Store. Users purchase tour content or access to the platform through the app store ecosystem.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

eTips (operating as Tours & Travel Inc.) develops and sells a mobile application that delivers GPS-triggered, audio-guided walking tours of cities. Users download the app from the Apple App Store, select a destination, and follow curated audio narratives synchronized with their GPS position, supported by built-in wayfinding, live maps, and offline functionality. The product enables independent travelers to explore cities at their own pace without group schedules, scripts, or roaming charges.

Product overview

Tours & Travel is a GPS audio-guided tour platform consisting of a mobile app (available on iOS via the App Store) and destination-specific audio guided tour experiences. The core product delivers curated audio storytelling synchronized with the user's GPS location as they walk through cities. Currently, Paris is available; New York City, Istanbul, and Barcelona are in various stages of development. All tours offer offline functionality, built-in wayfinding, and self-paced exploration without group schedules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tours & Travel Mobile App iOS mobile application delivering GPS-triggered, audio-guided walking tours of cities, with built-in wayfinding, live maps, curated storytelling, and offline functionality; targeted at independent leisure travelers via the Apple App Store.
• Paris Audio Guided Tour Location-based audio tour content for Paris (now available), delivering curated narratives synchronized with GPS positioning for independent travelers; the only launched destination at present.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• VoiceMap: VoiceMap is a platform for GPS-triggered audio walking tours across many global cities. It directly competes with Tours & Travel in the same audio-guided self-paced city exploration format, using location-based narration and offline-capable mobile apps.
• GPSmyCity: GPSmyCity offers GPS-guided walking tours and self-guided city itineraries through its mobile apps. It is a direct competitor to Tours & Travel in providing offline-capable, GPS-triggered travel content for independent travelers.
• Rick Steves Audio Europe: Rick Steves' Audio Europe app provides free, GPS-triggered audio tours for major European cities. It is a direct peer in the audio-guided city tour space, especially overlapping with Tours & Travel's Paris and Barcelona destinations.
• Storyteller: Storyteller is an audio tour app offering location-based storytelling across cities. It is a direct peer given its similar product format — narrated, GPS-triggered audio content for self-paced city exploration.
• Detour: Detour produced app-based location-aware audio tours of cities with curated narrative content. It is a direct peer in the GPS audio-tour format and target use case, even if its operational status has fluctuated.

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: GetYourGuide is a large-scale tours and activities marketplace with tens of thousands of experiences globally. It is comparable as a broad incumbent offering tours and city experiences, including self-guided options, though it operates as a marketplace rather than a curated content publisher.
• Viator: Viator (a TripAdvisor company) is a major tours and activities booking platform. It is a broad incumbent in the tours and experiences category that competes for the same traveler's wallet share, particularly in Paris, NYC, and Barcelona.
• Airbnb Experiences: Airbnb Experiences offers hosted local activities and tours within Airbnb's marketplace. It is a broad incumbent serving travelers seeking city-based experiences and overlaps with Tours & Travel's destinations, even though its format is hosted rather than self-guided audio.
• Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a major travel content brand producing city guides and audio content. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in travel content and city guides, even though its distribution is broader than Tours & Travel's mobile-only audio tours.

Emerging players

• Freehand: Freehand offers curated self-guided city guides and itineraries aimed at independent travelers. It is an emerging player in the same self-paced city content space with overlap in target audience and use cases, though its content format differs from audio-guided GPS tours.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ETipsMobile
• Facebookfacebook.com/111500398950144
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/etips

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about eTips