In an era of increasingly fast-paced and superficial travel, travelers face significant challenges. Limited time off makes touring tense, while rushed itineraries often cause people to miss the true magic of meaningful exploration.
That’s why Stories Unseen developed a smarter way to explore through curated self-guided tours powered by STQRY. Their extensive content and thoughtful approach to travel have earned them awards and continue to fuel their growth.
The Inspiration Behind Stories Unseen
Launched in February 2022, Stories Unseen was created to breathe life back into Perth’s quiet post-pandemic streets. Originally launched as Dark Stry, the platform was founded by Erin Clark and Damien Fitzpatrick, CBD locals and avid travellers inspired by their love of walking tours.
Frustrated by the closure of beloved local venues, they set out to reconnect people with the city through immersive, self-guided experiences.
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Image source: storiesunseen.com.au
The Journey
With over 3,000 visits a year and strong user ratings (4.5+ stars), people praised the tours as more fun, memorable, and convenient than traditional guided experiences.
First started as an adults-only Perth pub crawl, now known as Tales on Tap, the experience has grown into a wide variety of tours for all ages and interests. New revenue streams now include gift cards and local partnerships.
Stories Unseen has also expanded through cross-industry collaborations, including a standout partnership with Adelaide tourism expert Sondra Stewart. Together, they co-created Adelaide Firsts, a tour that blends deep local knowledge with engaging digital storytelling, redefining how people explore cities, one story at a time.
One major collaboration with Sondra Stewart from Adelaide Destination Management Co. led to the Adelaide Firsts tour, which combines Stories Unseen’s creative format with local insights to showcase the city’s history and culture.
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Stories Unseen-ADLF-Self Guided Tour Group.
Image source: Erin Clark
Why STQRY?
For Stories Unseen, selecting the right technology platform was more than just a business decision, it was the cornerstone of their entire approach. They needed a solution that was not only robust and reliable but also flexible enough to grow with their evolving ideas.
Most importantly, they needed a trusted partner where the quality of their content would be reflected in the customer experience ensuring every tour felt worth the purchase.
As per Erin Clark, CEO of Stories Unseen, having a platform that truly supports their vision has been essential.
“The STQRY platform has been a game changer for us. Its flexible architecture aligns perfectly with our goals, allowing the business to evolve significantly since launch, including a full rebrand from Dark Stry to Stories Unseen without starting from scratch,” she explains.
Using the STQRY platform has empowered Stories Unseen to diversify their revenue streams by offering tour access through unlock codes, enabling flexible purchasing options. Their offerings now range from direct tour sales and gift experiences to partner collaborations and hybrid formats that blend human interaction with digital storytelling. STQRY’s reliability and clear roadmap give them the confidence to scale nationally with a partner that grows alongside them. The platform is also easy to adopt, with non-technical team members quickly learning to use it with confidence.
“It strikes a great balance, robust enough for experienced tech users, yet intuitive enough for storytellers and content creators to jump in and get building,” she added.
Building Apps With STQRY
Stories Unseen relies on STQRY’s versatile platform, which combines powerful technology and user-friendly features. With these features, they create seamless, engaging mobile experiences.
Device Compatibility
STQRY’s flexible platform leverages smartphone and tablet GPS and camera functions, enabling Stories Unseen to provide seamless turn-by-turn navigation with detailed maps, transforming any device into a sophisticated travel companion.
Rich Media
Stories Unseen delivers on-demand audio commentary and immersive narration, featuring charismatic virtual guides who bring destinations to life with rich historical context and local stories, powered by STQRY’s versatile multimedia capabilities.
As Erin Clark says, “Being able to swipe between historical and current photos of buildings or streetscapes creates a sense of time travel that simply isn’t possible in the real world. It’s consistently the most talked-about feature in our user feedback and a key reason people recommend our tours to others.”
Helpful Customer Support
Having worked with many platforms through their broader consulting business, they find STQRY to be the most responsive vendor they’ve encountered.
“Client support has been outstanding. We've worked with a lot of platforms through
our broader consulting business, and STQRY is easily the most responsive vendor
we’ve encountered. Natalie and the support team are incredibly helpful, always on
hand to tackle tricky technical issues and never leave anything unresolved. Having
people available in our time zone makes a huge difference, too. It genuinely feels
like they’re part of our team.” Erin explains.
Easy Access
STQRY’s distribution system makes it simple for Stories Unseen to offer downloadable tours across multiple channels, including the App Store, their own platform, ensuring accessibility and convenience for travelers everywhere.
Flexible Sales Channels
Stories Unseen sells tours via their website, OTAs, in-app, and web purchases. Its adaptable commission structure lets them choose the best options for their customers, providing greater control and flexibility.
Recognition and Award Wins
Though established only in 2022, their content covers a diverse range of themes, including true crime, women’s history, architecture, and First Nations storytelling, crafted to engage curious travelers of all ages. Proudly Quality Tourism certified and accredited for accessibility and sustainability, they have been recognized as a two-time finalist in the WA Tourism Awards and won the 2024 Western Australian Heritage Award for Heritage Tourism.
Key Takeaways
- Choose technology that grows with your vision
- Combining rich media and interactivity creates an engaging traveler experience.
- Diversifying income streams builds a stronger, scalable business.
- Unique features enhance user connection and drive satisfaction and referrals.
- Investing in accessibility and sustainability earns recognition that boosts credibility.
- Choosing a flexible platform with adaptable sales and commissions boosts revenue
and control across channels.
Turn Your Tours into Profit
Just like Stories Unseen, you can sell your tours by offering customers access codes to unlock them. Monetize your content easily with the STQRY Marketplace!
List your tours on STQRY Marketplace and sell directly through your website, in-app purchases, or web sales. With flexible commission options, you have the freedom to choose what works best for you.
Build Your Own Tour App with Ease
With STQRY, crafting interactive mobile experiences is simple, with no coding required. Whether it’s walking tours, audio guides, or heritage storytelling, the user-friendly platform and expert support make it easy to bring your stories to life.
Get started now! Try STQRY Builder free and launch your own mobile tour app today.