GIS Applications in Tourism

Many professional disciplines use Geographical Information Systems to manage, analyze and display large amounts of data in a digital map format. Economists, geologists, environmental planners and archaeologists all use GIS applications to analyze data and better plan their activities. This data can be configured, displayed on a map and analyzed for many purposes.

Impact to the Tourist

• Tourism has historically been dependent on the character of the destination, including attractions, beaches and resorts. GIS data can have a tremendous impact in the tourism industry, bringing custom refined data to the end user, the tourist, regarding any specific area. This GIS and GPS systems can draw visitors to an otherwise unknown area based on what it has to offer the tourist.

Tourism Development

• GIS can play a significant role in tourism development. Coupled with other systems, such as Global Positioning Systems, Computer Assisted Drafting and remote sensing, GIS becomes a dynamic tool that incorporates changes instantly to the database that occur over time. Community leaders and planners can use GIS to provide the real-time data they need to make decisions, such as economic, social and environmental factors, to assist them in tourism planning.

Basemap Development

• GIS provides digital information that can be used for the development of printed maps for brochures, attraction maps and other advertising. This same information can be used to create printable maps or visual references for tourism-related websites, allowing travelers to explore and plan their trip before it begins.

Digital Information

• GIS data provides digital files for internet and mobile mapping. This data is used by applications such as Mapquest and Google Maps to provide online mapping as well as mobile applications for automobile GPS systems and smart phones. This digital information is becoming more commonplace with travelers. It is critical for the tourism industry to contribute data to these systems to ensure the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Interactive Applications

• Tourists are able to create customized maps along historic routes, such as the Oregon Trail. Tourists can map historical societies that no longer exist, walking tours of historic areas, paddling routes, hiking and walking trails. You can download maps to portable electronic devices or print them while on the vacation itself.

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Pristina, Kosovo, Tourism

As if exploring the heart of one of the world's newest countries isn't reason enough for an adventure, Kosovo's capital, Pristina, blends old Albanian charm with the exciting development of a country in progress. Stroll through the city's museums, find a luxury room or cozy hideaway, and take time to savor a traditional feast of meat-filled pastries or flia, a layered pastry and cheese dish.

Getting Here

• You can fly into Pristina International Airport, the only way to enter the country by air, via European carriers such as Lufthansa or Austrian Airlines. If you want to add a visit as part of a broader regional trip, you can get to Kosovo from Greece by passing through Albania or Macedonia, or come across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Tourists need a passport to enter Kosovo, but no visa is required for 90 days. The only travel hassle you may run into is if you try to cross into Serbia from Kosovo if you didn't come to Pristina from Serbia. Serbia still lays claim to Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, so the border guards won't accept passport stamps from Kosovo.

Exploring Kosovo

• Albanian and Serbian are official languages of Kosovo, though you'll find younger Kosovars often speak English. Though Kosovo is not under any State Department travel warning, threats do remain from a history of conflict as some land mines still pepper the region near the Albanian border, the mountains along the border with southern Serbia and the Dulje Pass region in the central part of the country. Keep to the roads in these areas if wandering to or from Pristina, and report any suspicious devices to authorities. You'll find the roads within the city a bit of a circus, with drivers disregarding rules and pedestrians. Taxis are fairly easy to find in Pristina, though they may be old and lack safety features. Keep enough euros on hand to get around because many places don't accept credit cards. Walking to your destination is easy -- the city center is concentrated. Remember that as a foreigner you're a target for thieves here, including pickpockets and armed robbers, though much of Pristina's violent crime is due to organized crime gangs that focus on each other and not travelers.

Rest Your Head

• Pristina has been working to develop its infrastructure and its tourism sector, resulting in a mix of five-star luxury and little hostels. You can snag hotel rooms as cheap as $45 a night, and the highest-rated hotel in the city, the Swiss Diamond, can be had for about $200 a night. Though the city boasts several large hotels, many of the establishments don't exceed 20 rooms. That doesn't mean you're opting for coziness in lieu of luxury, though. Hotel Pinocchio, for example, is small but offers one of the best restaurants in town and picturesque rooftop views along with airport transportation.

See the Sights

• Among the new construction modernizing the city you'll find landmarks paying tribute to Pristina's past. The 18th century Ethnographic Museum displays local folk art, historical costumes and household tools used over the centuries. The 19th century Kosovo Museum houses relics thousands of years old, and the building used to be used by the Turkish and Yugoslav armies. To focus on the young country's more recent history, Independence Museum walks you through the tumultuous struggle in a reconstruction of the home used by first the president of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova. Visit spectacular 15th century architecture at the Faith Mosque and a 15th century bathhouse undergoing restoration at the Great Hamam. Pristina pays homage to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, an ethnic Albanian, with a new cathedral, a popular street named in her honor and a bronze statue. Just east of town, go hiking through forests and take a dip in a lake-sized pool at Germia Park.

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Pilgrim Tourism in India

India is the birthplace of two major world religions – Hinduism and Buddhism – as well as a handful of lesser-known faiths. It’s also been heavily influenced by once-foreign religions that have arrived, settled in and made their own mark. From the kaleidoscopic colors of Hindu temples to the elegant minarets of mosques, the shimmering gold of Sikh gurdwaras to the serene halls of Buddhist temples, India’s sacred sites are spectacular enough to draw devoted pilgrims and photo-snapping tourists alike.

Hindu

• Hinduism is India’s largest religion, and millions of Hindus are drawn each year to Varanasi, their religion’s holiest city. Situated on the banks of the sacred Ganges River, pilgrims come to Varanasi to bathe and drink the water, watch holy men conduct rituals at dusk and even cremate their loved ones. India also boasts the biggest pilgrimage on earth, the Kumbh Mela. Held every four years in four different cities – Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik – tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims take a dip in a holy river on auspicious days. Because of extreme overcrowding, fully booked accommodations and a lack of facilities, plan carefully and well in advance if you wish to attend.

Muslim

• Though Islam’s most important pilgrimage sites – Mecca and Medina – lie in Saudi Arabia, India has a host of mosques, shrines and tombs that attract the devout. Delhi’s Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, has a striking sandstone silhouette, delicate minarets and room for 25,000 devotees. Mumbai’s island mosque of Haji Ali Dargah is connected to shore by a causeway crowded with a constant stream of pilgrims. When visiting a mosque, remember to dress modestly in long sleeves and long pants or a long skirt, and remove your shoes, hat and sunglasses at the entrance. Women should cover their heads with a lightweight scarf for extra modesty.
• Sikh

• The holiest site for followers of Sikhism is the Golden Temple in Amritsar, an ornate, gilded shrine surrounded by an extensive complex of towers, a museum, dining hall and pilgrims’ dormitories. All visitors, regardless of religious affiliation, are welcome to eat and sleep in the dining hall and dormitories for a small donation. Visitors of both genders are required to cover their heads, remove their shoes and wash their feet before passing through the temple gate.

Buddhist

• Though the historical Buddha was born in what is today Nepal, he spent much of his life in India, attaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya, giving teachings in Sarnath and Rajgir and dying in Kushinagar. These towns are now pilgrim hot spots for Buddhist monks, nuns and laypeople from India and around the world. Bodhgaya is the most developed among them, with meditation centers, monasteries and numerous temples built in the traditional styles of Buddhist countries across Asia. Both genders should dress modestly when visiting Buddhist temples, keeping upper arms and knees covered and removing shoes before entering. When sitting, visitors should avoid pointing the soles of their feet at any image of the Buddha.

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Adventure Tourism & the Himalayas

You don’t have to base-jump in a wing suit, heli-ski mile-high slopes, or climb the ultimate trek to the peak of Everest to enjoy adventure in the Himalayas. Tamer outdoor activities are available to experience the roof of the world’s majesty, and they're just as exciting. If you’re planning to travel to a country in the region, an expedition or shorter adventure tour is an absolute must for any travel agenda.

Access to Beauty

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  As the Indian subcontinent crashed into the Eurasian plate, crumpling the earth into a series of ranges, the highest mountains in the world jutted into existence. The Himalayas stretch across Bhutan, India, Nepal, China (Tibet), Afghanistan and Pakistan, and tower, with Mount Everest, to 29,029 feet. The most popular and accessible starting points to explore the majesty are Nepal and Northern India, with a well-structured adventure tourism trade and more accessible bases of operation. If you prefer to go off the beaten path, travel to Pakistan, Bhutan or Tibet.

The Sky's The Limit

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  Go trekking for the classic Himalaya experience of mountain majesty and village tradition. Treks range from day tours to weeks-long expeditions, leisurely hikes to expert-level difficulty, and lower elevation valleys to Everest base camp destinations. Raft on tributaries of the Indus and Ganges rivers or paraglide over endless mountain expanses. Ski and snowboard gargantuan slopes when it’s cold, and go mountain biking when it’s warm. Climbing, mountaineering, canyoning, snow shoe trekking, even zorbing or taking it easy on jeep safaris and Himalaya flights -- all the popular adventure tours are possible.

• By Way of Nepal

• Kathmandu is a colorful and lively adventure in itself and a perfect starting base for forays into the Himalayas. Head east through the lush Kathmandu Valley, trekking or biking your way toward Everest. Go west by way of the romantic lake landscapes of Pokhara, an ideal base to reach the Annapurna mountain circuit. If jungle adventure is more your style, head to the Chitwan National park region. No worries, mind-blowing panoramas of the majestic Himalayas are ever present just about anywhere in Nepal.

Through Vibrant India

• Travel to northern India’s main Himalayan regions of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand. Take an unforgettable train ride from Delhi to the Himachal Pradesh through Himalayan foothills to Shimla, a picturesque ski and trek town, then on to Manali by bus or car. Himalayan Extreme Center offers adventure tours around Manali. Browse the Uttaranchal tourism site for ideas in the Uttarakhand, like trekking or white-water rafting the lesser known outdoors of Kumaon. Eastward, nestled between Nepal and Bhutan in India’s Sikkim region, behold Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world.

Off the Beaten Path

• Go to Pakistan’s Hindu Kush region for lesser traveled Himalayan adventures, but be advised of the U.S. State Department's Pakistan travel warning. Bhutan is a fascinating mix of untouched mountain scenery, village tradition and Buddhist spiritualism. High tourist taxes hinder mass tourism, and limited Himalaya mountaineering access make adventure trips more exclusive and comparatively expensive. Travel Tibet for the ultimate remote Himalaya adventure. Many tours take you trans-Tibet by way of Lhasa, Everest base camp and Kathmandu, Nepal.

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Tourism in Jodhpur, India

When in India’s state of Rajasthan, experience Jodhpur. The labyrinthine medieval Blue City nestled beneath the towering Mehrangarh Fort ensures a lasting first impression. Treat your senses to a colorful culture of bustling streets and bazaars, majestic palace and temple architecture, a renowned handcraft trade and delightfully delectable cuisine. Stay in friendly guesthouses or luxury hotels fit for a maharaja as you explore the old town, do business in the modern city or plan excursions into the surrounding villages, lake landscapes or Thar Desert.

Sun City, Blue City

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  Jodhpur is known as Sun City for its hot desert climate, as well as the Blue City for the vibrant blue painted houses woven into the maze of the walled old city. Explore the mighty Mehrangarh fortress high above the old town for excellent panoramas and orientation of the city below. The late-medieval fortification is an impressive amalgamation of stark defensive architecture and ornate palatial wings, filled with period artifacts, paintings, costumes and arms. Nearby, the intricately ornamented marble Jaswant Thada mausoleum, which glows in the sunlight, is well worth a visit.

Sardar Market

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  Wander the lively if not hectic maze of the old city starting at the Ghanta Gar clock tower square and Sardar Market. The stalls and tiny shops are colored with various handcrafts such as silk and fabrics, rugs, jewelry and ornaments, and the aromas of spices, fresh produce and food stands abound. Take in the scene, eat or buy a few wares and meander, while navigating around speeding rickshaws, slow carts, sacred cows and zealous but friendly merchants. Guesthouses are plentiful around Sardar, but explore further for quieter and quainter options.

Namaste My Friend

• Namaste! The greeting with palms pressed together and a bow of the head mirrors the warmth of India. That zealous merchant certainly wishes to sell you something, but stopping for a chat or even a cup of tea gives you a closer impression of local hospitality. Stay in one of the myriad guesthouses, usually family run, ranging from inexpensive to very inexpensive. Hire a driver or guide either through your guesthouse or otherwise to get a more personal, inside view on the Blue City.

Like a Maharaja

• Sun City is a prosperous place renowned for its artisan handcraft industry such as fine hardwood furniture, dyed silks, fabrics and decorative ornaments. Have a handmade suit fit, relatively inexpensive, by Jodhpur’s illustrious tailors. Opt for the less chaotic, modern part of Sun City for a taste of luxury. Live like a Maharaja, literally, in the Taj Palace Hotel located within the Umaid Bhawan Palace; the private residence of the Jodhpur royal family.

Beyond Jodhpur

• Jodhpur is a mere overnight sleeper train ride away from Delhi, and part of the popular Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Jodhpur circuit. Rajasthan contains the Thar Desert, ideal for wilderness excursions like trekking, camelback or jeep safaris. Head east towards Pali and surrounding lakes and stay at the luxury marquee-tents of the Wilderness Camp, or west toward Jaisalmer (the "Golden City") and the Desert National Park.

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Tourism in Assam, India

The skyline of Guwahati, the largest city in Assam, rises from the wilderness with several museums and historical neighborhoods. Beyond the city is fertile cropland spotted with tea and rice fields, two of the area's most popular crops. The popularity of tea in Assam has led to a boom in tourism in the area, with colonial tea plantations open to visitors. Two UNESCO World Heritage parks also draw in travelers. This mix of natural scenery and cultural sites provides some of the best of both nature and city travel in India.

Wildlife Tourism

• Assam's UNESCO World Heritage sites are Manas and Kaziranga. Manas National Park is roughly 100 miles from Guwahati and is the natural habitat of several of India's native animals, including buffalo, elephants and tigers, among other endangered species. The park forest is only open during daylight hours, but basic accommodation is available on site. You're more likely to see wildlife in Kaziranga National Park near the Brahmaputra River, where conservation efforts helped revive the Asian one-horned rhino population and there is the largest tiger population in the country. Elephant rides are offered every morning to take visitors to spot rhinos. Resorts and other accommodations are common near the park's borders.

Tea Tourism

• Assam tea farmers produce approximately a fifth of the world's tea. Tea plantations and estates still stand fully operational in the countryside as reminders of the British colonial period in India's history, and many of these sites are available for public viewing. In Tocklai, the Tea Research Centre has been conducting research and experiments on tea cultivation, production and health effects for more than 100 years. Several companies in the area offer tours investigating the effect of tea on the culture and history of Assam.

Cultural Tourism

• Assam is home to several important cultural sites, several of which are in Guwahati. The Old Guwahati neighborhood runs along the Brahmaputra and features a planetarium -- with hints of Islamic and modern architectural influences -- and Dighulipukhuri Park, with rowboats for rent. The domed Guwahati Courthouse borders the park and is open to visitors. The Assam State Museum is open every day except Monday and has a range of exhibits dedicated to the state's culture and history, with a particular focus on tribal artifacts. Venture out of Guwahati to get a taste of Assam royal history at the Rang Ghar in Sivasagar, a large two-story pavilion where the rich once sat, conversed and watched animal fights or sports events in luxury.

Travel Considerations

• Assam is most accessible through the Guwahati airport, although some bus companies provide transport to the area and the Indian Railways network connects to major cities. The best time to visit Assam is between October and April when the days are pleasantly warm and the nights cool. Parks and other government-run organizations often close during monsoon season, which is between June and September. Assam is a fairly safe area for tourists, but you should exercise precaution and awareness at all times. Some anti-Western terrorists operate in or near the region. The U.S. Department of State recommends only traveling by train in northeast India during daylight hours. Stay away from demonstrations or protests, which can become violent without warning.

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