Provincetown Has an App — Does Your Town?

Dog catching Frisbee invites Provincetown visitors to “Stay and Play.” Image from iPtown app.

Provincetown, Massachusetts, at the tip of Cape Cod, has unveiled a free smartphone app that takes a whimsical approach to offering information to visitors — “befitting its image,” according to a press release announcing it.

Called iPtown, the app is produced by the town itself and promises the latest in digital technology. Visitors (or locals, for that matter), will be able to connect to businesses directly via phone, get directions “to anything in town a person could ever want to find,” as the release puts it, and generally locate things such as food and lodgings, shops, and special events as well as information like the weather and emergency services.

Known as an artists’ haven, Provincetown is playing off its reputation by featuring colorful images to direct users to different categories of information.

The “Stay and Play” section depicts a dog catching a Frisbee; the “Useful Info” section shows the Lily Tomlin phone operator from her classic comedy sketch; a rainbow over the lighthouse invites LGBT visitors to learn more about the welcoming local scene; a town crier announces the “Calendar,” and a street artist is the model for “Arts, Culture and History,” among nine different categories.

Eventually, I’m sure, any city or town that lives on tourist dollars will produce its own smartphone app, but for those who don’t yet, what are you waiting for?

And yes, baby boomers are using smartphone more and more. According to Nielsen data, at least 15 percent of boomers now use smartphones — and I’ll wager that among those who travel often, the percentage is much higher.