Using Flickr Geotagged Photos to Estimate Visitor Trajectories in World Heritage Cities

Antoni Domènech,Borja Moya-Gómez,Inmaculada Mohino

doi:10.3390/ijgi9110646

Abstract

World tourism dynamics are in constant change, as well as they are deeply shaping the trajectories of cities. The “call effect” for having the World Heritage status has boosted tourism in many cities. The large number of visitors and the side effects, such as the overcrowding of central spaces, are arousing the need to develop and protect heritage assets. Hence, the analysis of tourist spatial behaviour is critical for tackling the needs of touristified cities correctly. In this article, individual visitor spatiotemporal trajectories are reconstructed along with the urban network using thousands of geotagged Flickr photos taken by visitors in the historic centre of the World Heritage City of Toledo (Spain). A process of trajectory reconstruction using advanced GIS techniques has been implemented. The spatial behaviour has been used to classify the tourist sites offered on the city’s official tourist map, as well as to identify the association with the land uses. Results bring new knowledge to understand visitor spatial behaviour and new visions about the influence of the urban environment and its uses on the visitor spatial behaviour. Our findings illustrate how tourist attractions and the location of mixed commercial and recreational uses shape the visitor spatial behaviour. Overflowed streets and shadow areas underexplored by visitors are pinpointed.

Highlights

Urban tourism has been expanding globally since the 1980s
World tourism dynamics are in constant change, as well as they are deeply shaping the trajectories of cities
In the current mobilities era [1], characterised by the modelling force of the digital context and the global access to information [2,3], the world tourism dynamics are in constant change, at the same time that they are deeply shaping the trajectories of cities [4]

Summary

Introduction

Urban tourism has been expanding globally since the 1980s. In the current mobilities era [1], characterised by the modelling force of the digital context and the global access to information [2,3], the world tourism dynamics are in constant change, at the same time that they are deeply shaping the trajectories of cities [4]. Touristified cities are being adapted to tourists, partially in order to attract demand, and because they are influenced by “the overwhelming economic success of mass tourism theme parks, cruise ships and historic shopping streets and shopping centres” [14] These transformations are leading to the rise of anti-tourism movements [15] that question the management strategies and the sustainability of the tourist activity itself regarding its compatibility between the benefit of the local economy, the preservation of endogenous resources and the quality of both the tourist experience and the daily life of the residents. It is in this context that destination management competitiveness [17] becomes essential

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion