Limerick based company, TouristR, an online integrated trip-planning service, has been announced as one of the winners of eircom's €100,000 Web Innovation Fund.

Run by Gorteen-based company founder, Jan Blanchard, and Limerick native Conor Wade, TouristR was one of four companies selected by eircom to benefit from the Innovation Fund—which was launched in November last year to promote, mentor and sponsor innovative web applications in the Irish Internet industry.

The four winners have entered into agreements with eircom whereby concepts are developed through to production and, if appropriate, initially launched on the eircom.net platform.

Funding will be released on a staged basis throughout the six-month development process and eircom will provide ongoing monthly funding in order to continue development of the product in line with customer feedback, and as part of a standard content agreement.

The winners will also be given business development training and advice by Enterprise Ireland, as well as additional six-month post-launch funding and help with marketing and advertising of the web service.

TouristR is an integrated full-service trip-planning advisor, which cuts out the online information overload and minimises planning problems.

It not only helps the traveller to plan a more complex travel itinerary—such as a trip with multiple destinations on a fixed budget and timeline—but it also draws on content submitted by a community of users which will help the traveller to decide on a destination by getting a sense of the type of experience available at their chosen destination.

TouristR will feature stories, adventures and photographs of destinations submitted by users as well as aid the traveller who needs to factor in multiple elements to their trip such as budgetary, geographical, temporal and other personal preferences and restrictions.

Mark Taylor, Head of Content and Services Strategy, eircom Online, said that "we are very much looking forward to working with TouristR and the other three winning companies in the coming months and we are hugely excited about their potential".

Conor Wade was born in Limerick and has four years experience in the digital design industry working as a freelance designer.

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