ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Tourism planning refers to the integrated planning of attraction, service (e.g., accommodation, restaurants, shops, medical facilities, postal services etc.,) and transportation facilities. This paper discusses the application of Geographic Information System (GIS) as a route planning system for Tourists in Thiruvananthapuram City. Every tourist who is alien to the place faces the problem of improper planning. The tourists may not be aware of the route and the proper time to visit the tourist locations. A properly planned trip saves time and money. Optimal Route is the route with least cost ie., least time or least distance. Given a number of tourist location and the services required to be visited by the traveller, this module computes the best route within a minimum time or minimum distance depending on the impedance chosen. If a tourist specifies their origin and the tourist spots they wish to visit a day, the system recommends the best route to travel based on the preferred time of visit or the visiting hours of the locations. A web based GIS portal was also developed which would help tourists get information about the study area in a single portal. It also has added capabilities to the existing WebGIS system developed by the tourism department.
