INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & TOURISM

Embracing geospatial analytical technologies in tourism studies

Yang, Yang; Chen, Xiang; Gao, Song; Li, Zhenlong; Zhang, Zhe; Zhao, Bo

Abstract

With the ongoing development of information and communications technology, geospatial technologies have become increasingly important in monitoring, managing, and predicting tourism activities. These tools can also uncover tourism’s social, economic, cultural, environmental, and political impacts. In this viewpoint article, we discuss applications of cutting-edge geospatial analysis in tourism studies. Topics include opportunities from emerging geospatial data, a new typology of spatial analysis in tourism studies, spatial analysis with the 4-Ws approach, and humanistic geographic information systems. This paper offers methodological guidance for multi-scale geospatial analyses that are essential to tourism research.

Keywords

Geospatial analysis; Big data; Geographic information systems; Mobility; Tourism

Research topic

AI and Big Data, Tourist Flows and Location

Research method

Spatial Modeling, Big Data

Geographic area

Additional links for this paper

ResearchGate

Publisher Website

Web of Science

HOW TO CITE

Yang, Y., Chen, X., Gao, S., Li, Z., Zhang, Z., and Zhao, B. (2023). Embracing geospatial analytical technologies in tourism studies. Journal of Information Technology & Tourism, 25(2), 137-150

Additional Reads

2026

Feast or famine: asymmetric links between events and restaurant revenue

TOURISM GEOGRAPHIES

2027

When crowds converge: Link between events and crime

TOURISM MANAGEMENT

2026

Spatial heterogeneity of perceived visual quality along an urban sightseeing route: A route-contextualized point-level analysis

JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT