Understanding tourists' spatial behaviour: GPS tracking as an aid to sustainable destination management

Edwards, D; Griffin, T

Understanding tourists' spatial behaviour: GPS tracking as an aid to sustainable destination management

Edwards, D

Griffin, T

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2013, 21 (4), pp. 580 - 595
Issue Date:: 2013-05-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Edwards, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8345-9700	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Griffin, T	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-05-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2013, 21 (4), pp. 580 - 595	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0966-9582	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/26962
dc.description.abstract	The spatial behaviour of tourists within cities is not well understood, partly because of the complexities of cities as spaces and partly because few studies have addressed this phenomenon. This paper reports on collaborative research studies, conducted in conjunction with destination-management agencies in the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The studies used Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices to find out how various kinds of tourists moved around each city, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with the tourists to help explain their movement patterns. A total of 154 participant groups took part. Each study sought to provide information to destination-management agencies to help them improve aspects of the visitor's experience by improving wayfinding systems. Findings were analysed visually using a space syntax approach. Tourists walked between 10 and 35 km per day. Lack of knowledge of public transport systems and ticketing was a major constraint on public transport use. Melbourne's street pattern and its free city circle tram were found more user-friendly than Sydney's street pattern and public transport. The resulting visual maps provided destination managers with a valuable diagnostic tool; a range of new initiatives have been developed, including better conference visitor information, and training for information centre staff. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Sustainable Tourism	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/09669582.2013.776063	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	en_US
dc.title	Understanding tourists' spatial behaviour: GPS tracking as an aid to sustainable destination management	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	21	en_US
utslib.for	150603 Tourism Management	en_US
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management	en_US
utslib.for	1506 Tourism	en_US
utslib.for	1604 Human Geography	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Management Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	21	en_US

Abstract:

The spatial behaviour of tourists within cities is not well understood, partly because of the complexities of cities as spaces and partly because few studies have addressed this phenomenon. This paper reports on collaborative research studies, conducted in conjunction with destination-management agencies in the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The studies used Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices to find out how various kinds of tourists moved around each city, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with the tourists to help explain their movement patterns. A total of 154 participant groups took part. Each study sought to provide information to destination-management agencies to help them improve aspects of the visitor's experience by improving wayfinding systems. Findings were analysed visually using a space syntax approach. Tourists walked between 10 and 35 km per day. Lack of knowledge of public transport systems and ticketing was a major constraint on public transport use. Melbourne's street pattern and its free city circle tram were found more user-friendly than Sydney's street pattern and public transport. The resulting visual maps provided destination managers with a valuable diagnostic tool; a range of new initiatives have been developed, including better conference visitor information, and training for information centre staff. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/26962