Today, Austin-based app Gowalla announces some big changes. Don’t worry, the location-sharing application (which lets users check into places, share tips, take tours, complete challenges and more) won’t be going anywhere. In fact, they’re getting bigger and better, adding more interactive content courtesy of over 60 new partners, including Disney, National Geographic—and yours truly, CultureMap Austin.

The app now features Gowalla Guides, city-specific treasure troves of tips curated by local experts. Looking for ways to beat the line at Disney? Check their very own Gowalla Guide to find out. Best queso in Austin? We’ve got a CultureList full of our faves that Gowalla users can keep at their fingertips.

You’ll still be able to keep track of your friends' tips and check-ins—and you’ll also be able to immediately access a wealth of community-specific advice, much like having a custom travel guide in hand at all times.

"Since the beginning, Gowalla has been about far more than simply telling your friends where you are now," says John Williams, Gowalla CEO and co-founder. "It's about discovering the world's best places and sharing your story at the places that mean the world to you. The new Gowalla is a massive step towards accomplishing this."

This development sets new standards for location-based mobile apps by bringing in established content whizzes with big-name brand power, immediately positioning Gowalla Guides as offering expert opinions.

“We’re always looking for fresh, innovative ways to involve our members so they can connect with what’s going on around them,” says Robert Michael Murray, Vice President of Social Media for National Geographic. “Using Gowalla gives everyone the opportunity to not only receive, but relate to information in their own, personal way.”

This also sets stakes higher in the Gowalla vs Foursquare battle, one that seems to have started fizzling out around the time Gowalla began allowing users to sync their Foursquare profiles—meaning, users of both apps need only sign into Gowalla to check in across multiple platforms (Twitter and Facebook, in addition to Foursquare).

And expanding the scope and reach of an app originally used to share your personal whereabouts with friends opens new doors for the company to form strategic partnerships with local groups around the globe.

"Our mission is to inspire people to go out and share their world," continues Williams. "Our new Gowalla Guides are not only a realization of this mission, they bring the magic of mobile, local and social technologies to a larger, mainstream audience eager to find real value from location-based services."

We look forward to sharing some of our favorite places on Gowalla Guides. Check their site or the App Store for the latest version, available for iPhone and Android.