Bureau of Public Affairs
May 23, 2012
Smart Traveler, available in the iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smart-traveler/id442693988?mt=8, was first launched in June 2011. It is the official State Department app for U.S. travelers. The app invites you to see the world with easy access to frequently updated official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more.
Information comes from content that is also posted to www.state.gov and http://travel.state.gov. Please visit those websites for even more information on international travel, foreign policy, and the work of the U.S. Department of State.
Version 1.1, launched in October 2011, expands the list of countries and areas and includes the ability to add custom RSS feeds.
Smart Traveler is currently being developed for the Android, with availability in June 2012.
By Country
Select the country or area you’re interested in from the alphabetical list, or start typing a country name.
Once you’ve selected a country,
--Choose “Know Before You Go” to get travel warnings on that specific country or region, a map, safety & security information, and more.
--Select Country Background for information on people, history, government, political conditions, and more.
--Select US Embassies/Consulates for a complete list of all US embassies & Consulates overseas.
Build an eTinerary
--Select e-tineraries from the icons at bottom menu
--Select the Plus sign (+) in upper right to build a new itinerary. Name your itinerary, add any notes, and then select Save.
--Add destinations by selecting the Plus sign (+); fill in country and arrival and departure dates, then Save.
--Add other destinations, and Save again.
--Select Smart Traveler Enrollment from the bottom of the e-tineraries screen to enroll in this free program so that the State Department can better assist you in an emergency.
Warnings and Alerts
--Select Warnings or Alerts from the icons at bottom menu to see all recent travel Warnings and Alerts.
More
--Select More from the icons at bottom menu to enroll in the Smart Traveler program, to follow travel.state.gov on Twitter, or to visit us on Facebook.
Fun!
--For a bit of fun, shake your iPhone to learn about a random country.
Q. Will other versions of the Smart Traveler app be available?
A. Smart Traveler is our pilot product and is currently compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (requires iOS 4.0 or later). We chose iPhone for the pilot after results from our pop-up survey showed that was the preferred platform. Based on the success and demand for the Smart Traveler, we are also developing the app for the Android system. We hope to have it in the Android Market Place in June 2012. In the mean time, our mobile site is compatible with virtually all mobile devices and contains a subset of information available through Smart Traveler. Specifically, Countries and Other Areas is our mobile version of Background Notes. Additional information is available in our Press Release and the Smart Traveler page of the iTunes store.
Q. Do you have high-resolution images I can use in my publications about Smart Traveler?
A. Yes!
The small icon seen on the iPhone after you download Smart Traveler is here: Small Smart Traveler icon [1.5MB]
The opening screen for the Smart Traveler app is here: Smart Traveler opening screen [800KB]
If you experience problems or have suggestions for making Smart Traveler better, please let us know: travelapp@state.gov
