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Speakers
Beatrice Waleghwa, PhD student in Tourism at Dalarna University
Tobias Heldt, Associate Professor Tourism Studies at Dalarna University
Abstract
Keywords: Tourism development, tourism planning, destination development, PPGIS, Sälenfjällen Sweden
Transportation is important for destination development not only for facilitating access to destinations by visitors but also the effects it might bring to the society, economy and the environment. Hence, careful planning of infrastructure and policies need to be implemented to ensure the provision of sustainable transportation. However, seasonality presents a critical challenge in planning infrastructure to meet demand for transportation at destinations. Specifically, a challenge in managing demand for transportation or redistributing it through space and time whenever possible to ensure the provision of transportation that meets the mobility needs of present and future societies. I! nvolving stakeholders in transportation planning is fundamental to achieving sustainable transportation and the development of destinations and societies at large.
The purpose of this paper is to showcase how public participation GIS (PPGIS) can be used as a tool to assist in collecting data of relevance for planning at a tourism destination in general and in specific how PPGIS data can assist in transport planning. PPGIS involves stakeholders (visitors in this case) by offering an opportunity to collect their preferences for accommodation, improvements, and activities which influence the choice for transportation at a destination. Particularly, PPGIS is seen as an effective way of getting spatially explicit data to inform better decision making in destination management and planning.
This paper reports on a PPGIS study in collaboration with stakeholders in Sälenfjällen, the largest ski tourism destination in Sweden. Sampling of visitors was done on-site using both online and! paper-ba sed surveys containing a set of standard questionnaire questions as well as PPGIS mapping tasks. Results from 162 surveys were included for final analysis which indicates places visitors preferred for accommodation, activities, and areas in need of improvements. Destination managers and transport planners can benefit from spatially explicit data from PPGIS studies. These insights could be incorporated into current management and planning systems potentially supporting the sustainable development of Sälenfjällen. To our knowledge, this study is one of the first that uses PPGIS in a tourism context.
Centre for Tourism and Leisure Research, CeTLeR
CeTLeR at Dalarna University is the collaborative centre of excellence that works with regional businesses and the tourism industry to increase knowledge and understanding so as to meet industry needs while developing its potential.