E-tourism include imbedded GIS within websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Goto, Mapquest,. Alta Vista, etc. While there are numerous applications and uses of ...
INTERACTIVE WEB-BASED MAPPING IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: A CASE STUDY OF UK AND MALAYSIA Dr. Sanjay S. Mehta, Sam Houston State University Mark R. Leipnik, Sam Houston State University Subhash C. Mehta, University of Southern Maine ABSTRACT Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a suite of computer programs designed to store, analyze, manipulate and create output like maps, charts, and reports from geographic data linked to descriptive attribute data. The geographic data typically are features that can be portrayed on maps or in aerial photography and stored in a special topological structure. Within this unique format, coordinates, scales, projections, and geometric interrelationships are explicitly maintained. Descriptive attribute data is stored in a tabular format and linked to the geographic data (Mehta et. al, 1999b). GIS data is structured into a series of layers. These layers are co-registered (i.e., have the same spatial extent) coordinate system and projection. For example, a GIS might have a layer of zip code boundaries, a layer of streets and highways, and a layer of streams, lakes and wetlands (hydrography), a layer of state and national boundaries, a layer of unit (store) locations, a layer of competitor unit locations, a layer of customer locations, etc. For each distinct layer there would be (at least one) database table containing as many records as there were features in the corresponding geographic (map) layer to which they were linked. Each record there would have a primary key with a unique numerical identifier that differentiates that record and links the record to the feature (such as a point representing the residence of a customer). While GIS technologies have been in existence for approximately forty years, its adoption by businesses and diffusion within marketing is a relatively new phenomenon. Historically, the most common applications (and original uses) of this technology have been in the areas of natural resources management, infrastructure and facilities management, and land records management. More recently, public utilities and municipal governments have embraced the technology. Today, GIS is being applied to literally thousands of disparate applications from mapping crime incident locations to tracking nuclear submarines. While the technology itself is complex, businesses can use and apply the technology with relative ease once they understand the general structure, functions, and source of both data and software that are readily available. GIS can be used to analyze the demographic, economic, and infrastructure related to a given “place”. These factors often determine the appropriateness of locating a new retail unit, engaging in a direct marketing campaign, making a real estate investment, etc. (Sui, 2002). For example, the number and socioeconomic information of persons residing within a specified distance or travel time would help to determine the profit potential of a trade area. The presence of employers, hotels, airports, highways, arterial streets, public transportation, inter-modal links, etc. would help determine the potential customer base for drive through or walk up business. Physiographic factors (e.g., proximity to flood zones or earthquake faults) can also have an effect on the long-term value of an investment in a particular area. Given all the advantages and Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators (2005) . . . page 165
utilizations of the technology, it is not surprising that many large and small businesses are embracing GIS into their overall marketing strategies. A particularly fruitful and relatively new area for the utilization of GIS is the application of interactive mapping over the Internet. One of the first industries to embrace the use of GIS technology over the Internet is tourism (Wang et. al., 2004). The precedent for use of the Internet in tourism is well established. With a large volume of airline, hotel, rental car companies, and other travel related reservations being made on-line (Spee, 2003). Since travel, by its very nature, has a geographic component/association (e.g., selection of lodgings in an unfamiliar city), it is obvious that the use of maps in tourism is a valuable (if not essential) tool for businesses. With the advent and evolution of the Internet, there is demand to access these maps on-line. Some examples of web-based GIS in the field of E-tourism include imbedded GIS within websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Goto, Mapquest, Alta Vista, etc. While there are numerous applications and uses of GIS in E-business, we identified and recognized a few leading websites within the E-tourism industry that are using GIS-based interactive mapping on their website. More specifically, we identified two countries (i.e., Britain and Malaysia) and compared and contracted their official E-tourism websites. While the websites of several national tourist offices contain interactive mapping capabilities, Britain and Malaysia were purposely chosen. These two countries are for all practical purposes, very different from one another. That is, they are geographically in different continents, religiously different, ethnically diverse, speak different languages, are in different stages of economic development, etc. In summary, selecting two countries that are very different from one another would help us better understand the general state of GIS-based interactive mapping on the Internet. SELECTED REFERENCES Mehta, S.S., Leipnik, M.R., & Maniam, B. (1999b). Application of GIS in Small and Medium Enterprises. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, 11(2), 77-88. Spee, P. (2003). Personal Communication, Director of Marketing for Internet Applications. Environmental System Research Institute Inc., Redlands, CA. Sui, D. (2002). The Importance of Place and the Internet Revolution. Journal of the American Association of Geographers. Wang, J., Sui, D.Z., & Lai, F.Y. (2004). Mapping the Internet Using GIS: The Death of Distance Hypothesis Revisited. Geographical Systems, forthcoming.
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