Desti Launches Public Beta iPad App for Travel Planning and Discovery

AI-Powered Travel Guide Focuses Initially on Northern California, Provides Most Advanced Travel Search for iPad

Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) November 08, 2012

With Desti, users are able to discover and plan travel experiences specifically tailored to them. By deploying Natural Language Processing (NLP) and semantic search capabilities, Desti can understand users intentions to make travel planning easy and exciting. Over time, Desti learns each users unique travel interests and preferences and adapts recommendations specifically to them.

We all know the frustrations of travel planning, of sifting through numerous websites and reviews and results that are irrelevant to your personal interests. We knew we could do better, which is why we created Desti, said Desti co-founder and CEO, Nadav Gur. Desti is about helping you discover and plan unique travel experiences -- where to stay, what to do and where to dine, all beautifully presented and immediately available at the swipe of a finger for browsing, booking or sharing with your friends.

To discover travel experiences with Desti, users search using their actual travel plans rather than with imprecise keywords. Desti understands the context of the information and returns suggestions based on the users intentions. Destis deep knowledge of specific geographical regions allows it to provide much deeper information and context for users than other travel sites. With Desti users can plan every aspect of their trip with confidence, all in one place.

Desti changes the experience of travel planning online by delivering only the results that are most relevant to the user. Destis results are also impartial, and cannot be gamed by SEO tactics or advertising. Users are presented with comprehensive travel experiences that have been uniquely compiled using the most advanced technology available.

The backbone of Desti is the Natural Language Processing engine developed from SRI Internationals Virtual Personal Assistance (VPA) technology. Like Siri and Trapit before it, Desti was spun out of SRIs ambitious $200mm CALO artificial intelligence project, the largest project of its kind in history. This technology allows for more natural searching that understands the intent of a users search.

Nadav brought his years of experience in the mobile travel space to SRI as Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and were excited to finally make Desti available to the public. Desti is a prime example of applying deep domain expertise with SRIs most advanced assistant technology to address specific market problems, said Norman Winarsky, Vice President, SRI Ventures.

Desti brings expertise and understanding to travel planning. Desti analyzes an ever-growing amount of travel data, photos, maps, and reviews through their proprietary knowledge base. Unlike other search engines that can only provide uncontextualized facts like price, location, and a list of amenities, Destis knowledge base unearths additional information relevant to travelers, such as if a hotel is noisy or whether a certain small bed and breakfast is good for a romantic weekend.

Desti also scans information about the places that your friends have been, to find the right recommendations just for you. Desti recommends travel experiences that are designed with you as an individual in mind, in the same way that a trusted travel agent knows your interests and preferences. Desti minimizes the hassle while maximizing the serendipity and discovery for great travel experiences.