Location-Based Applications Using Analog Maps for Sustainable Local Tourism Information Services

Abstract

Conventional paper-based tourist maps are still created and provided by many local tourism organizations, as they have advantages in representing highly detailed and contextual information, although the static medium limits the functions of such maps. To benefit these analog maps from location-aware environments, interactivity, and data feedback from mobile devices, a sustainable ecosystem for local tourist maps is proposed. A low-cost solution for developing mobile tourism applications by providing tools to georeference analog maps and integrate multimedia sightseeing information owned by local tourism organizations is implemented. The processes for analog map georeferencing and content integration, as well as the design principles for mobile tourism applications, are introduced and discussed in detail. In cooperation with college students, university campuses, and local tourism organizations, experimental applications were implemented to evaluate the functionality and usability of the proposed mobile mapping application and the feasibility of the proposed solution. Two published applications are introduced briefly, with preliminary analyses using data donated by application users, which have shown positive contributions to understanding users' behavior and requirements.