BLOOMSBURG -- Nowadays there is an app for almost anything, so why shouldn't there be one to promote tourism in Columbia and Montour Counties? With events that bring in lots of tourists, like the Bloomsburg Fair and the Covered Bridge Festival, employees at the visitors bureau thought an app was the way to go.
"A lot of people now are using their smart phones and they're using a tablet when they're planning a vacation. So we wanted to be able to be competitive in that market as well," Rachael Brown said.
The free app has features called, "Eat, Stay, Play and More." It is geared towards visitors, and people who do not know their way around the area, like college students.
"I would definitely want to know the area more since I don't really know anything. She was here last year so she helps me out most of the time, but if the app would help then I would definitely get it," said Ashley Anesis, a sophomore at Bloomsburg University.
The app is easy to download. Get the iPhone/iPad version from the Apple App Store here or the download the Android version here.
"If you're in the middle of downtown and you're not sure where you want to eat dinner, it's going to geographically show you all the restaurants that are closest to you," Brown said.
"It should definitely help bring in business, especially with being a college town and everybody's got smart phones now," said Quinn Buttrick, manager of Bloomin' Bagels.
The Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau is soon starting a contest that coincides with two of the area's big events--The Covered bridge Festival and The Bloomsburg Fair.
"One lucky person is going to receive a $100 gift card," Brown said.
College students we spoke with like the idea of the prize.
"As a college student you're pretty much always broke, so it's definitely a good thing to do because there's always that chance of money," Bloomsburg University sophomore Paige Hornung said.
To get the prize, you must download the app between September 26 and October 11.