GIS applications in tourism marketing: Current uses, an experimental application and future prospects

The paper begins with a brief introduction to the technology of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a review of the current literature in the field of tourism based GIS (T-GIS). This is followed by a discussion of the theoretical possibilities of using T-GIS for traditional marketing purposes and a review of the related literature. The use of T-GIS for marketing is then considered both from the demand and supply sides. The second half of the paper provides a detailed account of the use of the Internet to incorporate GIS-based models and graphics as a marketing tool for the Alberta Ski Resort industry. Further developments and prospects using this technology are also described.