3D Visualisation of Leisure & Tourism Information based on Remote Sensing Data

Tourist centres throughout the Alps are currently exploring the potential of new presentation strategies that will maximise the promotional appeal of their region and its main assets, which include a unique landscape and scenery, an impressive cultural heritage, and a wide range of sports facilities and other tourist amenities. The EU Travel Study carried out by Sloggett (1997) revealed that major travel and tourist companies and organisations take an increasing interest in satellite technology, and in the development of a Travel, Leisure and Tourism Information Service which will allow potential clients to pay an on-line visit to their chosen holiday resort. The kind of innovative Information Service they envisage will provide information on the resort and the region, offer entertainment and also allow business transactions. It will integrate satellite images, GPS data, GIS information, terrestrial images and will also include tourist information as well as offering multimedia and 3D-visualization technologies and interactive navigation. This paper will briefly discuss the current situation in the leisure and tourism industry as regards currently available modes of information presentation for specific target groups. It will then discuss proposals for a novel interactive multimedia information system, focussing on the various components of such a system. The system will integrate satellite images, GPS data, GIS information and other information on leisure activities and tourist facilities. Aerial and satellite images will be used to implement the visualisation of the tourist region for multimedia CD ROMs (digital brochure) and display on the internet.