Comparing Methods of tracking tourists

Comparing The Methods Of Tracking Tourists:Traditional Vs. Modern Tracking Technologies

By: Mohamad Akmal Bin Mohamad Toha

Presentation outline

Research Background Issues & Problem Tourist Tracking Methods

Traditional approach Modern approach

Comparing Methods of Tracking Tourists Movement Conclusion

Research BackgroundInternational Conference on Urban & Regional Planning 2014

• Study about tourist behavior especially on tourist movement like the places tourists visit, the time they spend, factor influence decision making, problems that they went through and the services they utilize can provide valuable information for tourism management and for tourism research.

•Government agencies and destination managers can use the information to plan and

manage tourism destination like minimize adverse impacts on sensitive sites, to inform planning decisions, redirect visitor flows to avoid overcrowding, concentrate marketing activities, inform transport policies and more broadly distribute expected benefits.

•However, collecting data on tourists’ spatial behavior is not an easy task.

• Suitable tools and appropriate methodology are needed in order to collect a good quality of data.

•Good quality of data on tourist movement may provide good quality of data to be analyze.

•Thus, this research will used the best data collection methods to collect data so it will produce more accurate result and better understanding about tourists behavior.

Research BackgroundInternational Conference on Urban & Regional Planning 2014

Completion of tracking tourist

-Many methods can be used to track tourist spatial movement.

-By comparing previous traditional and new modern tracking methods will give better result and suitable tool to be used and provide more valuable data about tourists movement.

2

Data Collection Procedure-Daily movement pattern are use to identify movement pattern of tourist rather than

movement throughout the entire visit.-Researchers will wait respondent at the hotels that locate near to world heritage of Melaka.

Arrival interview

- Approach respondent who come to the hotel and ask about their trip profile and trip purpose.

- Willingness to participate to join survey

- Teach how to use the device and answer questionnaire about demographic profile

1

Post departure Survey

- Interview session asking more detailed information on places visited and experience about decision making process.

3

Issues & ProblemsInternational Conference on Urban & Regional Planning 2014

• Previous research that study on tourist movement have explain the weaknesses of some tracking tools.

Previous Methods of Tracking(Authors)

Sketch Trip on Map

(Ming &Mc Hugh, 1992)

Interview (Opperman, 1995)

Observation Technique

(Gali & Donaire, 2008)

Trip Diary (Lau & Mckercher, 2008)

Limitation & Weaknesses

Data of tourist movement will

depend on tourist memory

Data of intended activities of tourist without knowing

whether the tourist will exactly go visit

the destination or not.

Too long time to finish their study because need to follow lot of

tourists. (Time Consuming)

Respondent fail to record their full trip diary. Visitor busy

enjoy the environment of tourism area until

forgot about their trip diary

• Emerging technologies of tracking tools such as GPS may give opportunity to solve the problems of previous traditional tracking approach. • GPS tracking methods allows precise and continuous tracking of individual and provides spatially rich

data about tourist movement (Griffin, 2013). • Although, there are modern tracking technology but comparison with other tracking method are needed.• Some modern tracking may not be suitable to be used in our study area. • Hence, by compare with other tracking methods will give a opportunity to get a best tracking tool to be

used to track tourists in Melaka Heritage Site.

Table 1.0: Previous research that use traditional methods to track tourists

Tourists Tracking MethodsInternational Conference on Urban & Regional Planning 2014

1) PARTICIPANT OBSERVER METHODS

Tourists Tracking Methods

Traditional Tracking Methods

Modern Tracking Methods

Participant Observer MethodNon Participant ObservationRemote ObservationAggregative video trackingTrip diaryRecall diary

GPS Tracking TechnologyLand Based TechnologyCellular Phone

• The researcher will follow, observe and map the tourist movement with the tourists know that they are being follow.

Advantages• The researcher can get lots of information about tourist’s

movement and behavior because they totally follow the tourists.

Disadvantages•Quality of the participant observation depends upon the skill of

the researcher to observe, document and interpret what has been observed (Schensul et al. 1999).

•Researchers fail to report the negative aspects of cultural members (Kawulich, 2005).

•Need a long time to collect data because the researchers need to observe daily activities of the respondent.


2) NON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

•Observer follow the visitors, recording visitor activities during their visitation in a destination without the tourists know that they are being follow.

Advantages•Researcher can see all activities that involve by the subject and

track the tourist by documented it. Either the activities are positive or negative the observer might record and document it

Disadvantages• This method are expensive because the observer had to be present

for the entire of the tourist's exploration of a destination.

•Time consuming because the researchers need to follow and observe daily activities of the respondent.


3) REMOTE OBSERVATION

•Remote observation is the technique where the researcher located a camera on the top of building to snap a photo of crowds. Then, the researcher will analyze the movement by looking at the photos that have been captured.

Advantages• It is low cost technique that can be applied in tracking. Because,

the data can be requested at the local authority.

Disadvantages• It only can snap a picture to see the tourist and we need lots of

camera if we want to see tourists movement pattern. •A camera is expensive thus the cost of the study will be high

because it needs lots of cameras.

• Secondly, it difficult to identify tourist by only look at their appearance.


4) AGGREGATIVE VIDEO TRACKING

• Aggregative video tracking also called as "eyes in the sky" technique.• Video camera or closed circuit televisions (CCTV) are being

used to analyze spatial pattern of travelers. • Usually local authorities locate CCTV that can cover large area

within their territory.


the data can be requested at the local authority.

Disadvantages• It difficult to identify tourist by only look at their appearance.

• The surveillance tapes is belonging to local authority or police. They might not give the information for research purposes because it is a private data


5) TIME SPACE BUDGETS: Trip diary

• This method is non observational and relies on the subject's report of his or her behavior. The subjects require to actively recording his or her action in time and space during their visitation.


the data are documented by the tourist on the paper. • Suitable to track tourists in any tourism destination.

Disadvantages• Szalai (1972) was used this method in their study but there are

difficulty in finding people who willing to participate in research using this methodology and most of the people who do often fail to record their activities. Tourists who purposely come to visit a destination will spent most of their time to enjoy their vacation rather than documented their trip diary.• Low resolution in terms of timing and space, since the subject

only record his or her location and activity just several times per day


6) TIME SPACE BUDGETS: Recall Diary

• Face to face interview will conduct to know about movement of tourists • This technique will used ability of subject memory to gather the

information.

Advantages• Time to collect data for one respondent are faster. •Cost of data collection are low

Disadvantages•Data collected will depend on the memories of subject. •Hence, this method cannot even show exact durations of

activities but identification of main pattern in time and space.


7) GPS TRACKING TECHNOLOGY

• Global Positioning Systems consists of a series of satellites that orbit the earth broadcasting signals, which are in turn picked up by a system of a receiver. • Tourists will bring the GPS devices during their visitation.

Advantages• The size and weight of GPS device that uses to track people

become small and light. • GPS device can provide more accurate and precise information

about tourist movement.• The GPS devices work independently without disturb the tourist

activities

Disadvantages• The price of GPS tracking technologies is expensive. • GPS device need high power consumption which means it cannot

track a subject for long periods of time without changing batteries.• The coverage of GPS also has a limitation. GPS devices will

have difficulty to locate the subject if there are structure blocking the sky or the subject is inside a building.


8) LAND BASED TRACKING TECHNOLOGY • Land Based Tracking Technologies are local tracking systems.

It’s known as radio frequency (RF) detectors. • The land based antenna station will receive the signal that sent

from the end unit and detect the location.• Time of arrival (TOA) Technology is based on the radio electric

signals at a known speed. The position and the distance of the signals can be calculated by knowing the exact time the signal was emitted and the exact time it was received. • TDOA is a system based on a series of three or more land based

antenna stations that pick up transmissions from end units. The antenna station will actively transmit signals rather than passively waiting to receive signals from the end units.

Advantages• Land based tracking technologies do not need to be directly

exposed to the source of the electromagnetic signal or antennas of a system in order to function. • The small size of end unit will easier tourist to bring it.

Disadvantages• Land based tracking technologies are expensive.• It’s are local systems that must be erected in a specific location.

Study area which does not have the antenna cannot detect location of the end unit.


9) Using Hand phone to track tourists: Calling & Send text message

• Giving a cellular phone to tourists, researcher can detect tourist’s position by calling a tourist. Other than that, subjects also can send a message to researcher to justify their location.

Advantages• The small size of hand phone will easier tourists to bring it.

Disadvantages• Probability of losing hand phone are high.• Disturbing tourist while they enjoy their visitation activities.

(Tourist need to text or call researcher to justify their location).• Only suitable to be used in areas with cellular coverage.


10) Using Hand phone to track tourists:Roaming

• Cellular communication providers have agreements with providers in other countries in which the foreign providers are obligated (usually for an inflated fee) to give service to “roaming” end units from other networks. • These agreements mean that location of tourists can be

detected using a roaming services by assuming the hand phone are with tourists.

Advantages• The small size of hand phone will easier tourists to bring it.• The service cost varies from place to place according to the

supplier.

Disadvantages• Privately owned companies do not always have incentives to

cooperate with researcher.


11) Using Hand phone to track tourists:Using Application of GPS

• The concept of GPS application is same with GPS tracking technologies but it used cellular phone as a device. • Hand phone will be give to the tourists and application of GPS

will track tourists movement during visitation in a destination.

Advantages• The application of GPS work independently without disturbing

the tourists activities. • The small size of end unit will easier tourist to bring it.• The coverage of cellular phone is good in urban area. • Cost of this method is affordable (using a cheap smart phone).

Disadvantages• Tourists need to replace a hand phone batteries if it is empty

Comparing Methods of Tracking TouristsInternational Conference on Urban & Regional Planning 2014

Accuracy Availability Urban areas (Melaka) Usage costs Privacy of Travelling Time Frame to track 1 tourists

Suitability in tracking daily

tourists movement

Participant observer method Medium Worldwide Can be done High; because need to follow tourist travelling

Privacy is not an issue because subject’s need to do nothing to

pin point their locationLong Yes

Non participant Observation Medium Worldwide Can be done High; because need to follow tourist travelling

Privacy is not an issue, because subject’s do not know that they

are being followLong Yes

Remote observation Low Only in a specific area that have camera

Work well in surveillance of camera

Cheap; because the data are given by authority


are being watchShort No

Aggregative video tracking Low Only in a specific area that have video camera

Work well in surveillance of video

camera

Cheap; because the data are given by authority


are being watchShort No

Time space budgets

Trip diaryMedium

(Depend on subject attitude)

Worldwide Can be done CheapPrivacy is questionable because tourist need document their trip

diaryLong Yes

Recall diaryMedium

(Depend on subject attitude)

Worldwide Can be done CheapPrivacy is not an issue; the data of movement will be collected

after the visitation.Short Yes

GPS Tracking Technology High Worldwide

Work well in urban with an open terrain and

where the sky is unobstructed

The satellite signal are free but the GPS device is expensive

Privacy is not an issue, the system can locate a user at any time without user knowledge

Long Yes

Land Based Tracking Technology Medium

Only in areas with the appropriate

infrastructure of TDOA

High infrastructure costs means that it is

economically viable only in urban environments

The cost of the service varies from place to place


Long Yes

Cellular Phone

Call & Sent text message

Medium (Depend on

subject attitude)

Only in areas with cellular coverage

More accurate in urban areas due to high

coverageAffordable

Privacy is questionable because tourist need to respond to researcher to explain their location during visitation

Medium Yes

Roaming Medium WorldwideMore accurate in urban areas where the density of transceivers is higher

Service cost varies from place to place according to the

supplier


Long Yes

Application of GPS Medium Only in areas with

cellular coverage

More accurate in urban areas due to high

coverageAffordable


Medium Yes

ConclusionInternational Conference on Urban & Regional Planning 2014

• The comparison of tracking technique are important because a suitable tools and appropriate technique are needed in order to get valuable information about spatial movement of tourists.

• There is a need to overcome the traditional approach of tracking tourist which is the data collected methods are questionable.

• In terms of 7 criteria that have been explained which are accuracy, availability, appropriate technique, time frame, suitable to be use in historic site, privacy of travelling and cost, the GPS application in cellular phone is the best tools to be used to track the movement of tourist in Melaka Heritage site.

• Further, the result of the research will shows the model of tourist movement pattern in heritage sites.

• Other than that, by mapping the tourists movement data also can shows the 'hot spot', 'cold spot' and 'transition area' of destination attraction.

• Hence, accurate and precise data about tourists movement that gathered from modern tracking approach plus arrival interview and interview session at the end of the visitation of tourists can give better picture about tourist behavior either local or international tourists.

• Thus, it will help tourism planner, local authority, decision makers and other related field to understand more about tourists and improve the destination management and create a comprehensive policies for tourism destination especially for heritage sites.

Documents

Comparing Methods of tracking tourists