A real-time, personalised discovery of places of interest with the use of GIS and GPS

Abstract

Information overload is making it more difficult for persons to find relatable material. When it comes to travelling, where both time and money are limited resources, travellers want to make the most of their holidays and do not want to waste time filtering through irrelevant information. Since the tourism industry accounts for 10% of the Global Domestic Product and is growing, there is a significant potential market to penetrate. Smaller businesses and attractions, which are not on main roads or in popular locations, may also be missed by travellers who would have loved to visit these places had they known about them. There is also the stereotype of ‘touristy’ style establishments which tend to be in ‘high-street’ locations and are therefore more available to travellers. Nowadays, travellers are veering away from the traditional tourist style holidays in exchange for more authentic and local experiences. The Recomundo Mobile Phone Application prototype offers users location-based recommendations, in real-time, and tailored to their personal preferences with the use of a recommender system. Location recommendations can be accessed anywhere and anytime, as long as the mobile device is outdoors and has a reliable internet connection. A Map View aids users in having a ‘birds-eye-view’ of their current location and the establishments surrounding their location. Therefore, are made aware of points of interest which are not immediately visible to them, but are in the surrounding streets, and can make informed decisions accordingly. The Recomundo Application streamlines persons travel experiences and aids them in extracting the most out of their time abroad, by filtering out the overwhelming unnecessary information and allowing them to access this material in real-time. The feedback received from the demos conducted shows that the application concept is liked and would be used.