I got the opportunity to present the open tourism in terms of technical aspect of ICT and Tourism in Valley wide web page competition on 3^rd March 2013, organized by ANNFSU P.U. Valley Bagmati Zome Coordination Committee. I must say this was the first public presentation, after being ambassador of Open Knowledge Foundation Nepal. Day before, I got ring from Spandan Pradhan, one ICT enthusiastic e Nepal, and he asked me to present on technical aspect of ICT and Tourism … due to very short time, I thought for a while and conformed. I started to prepare my presentation, consult with some experts, asked suggestion in our internal discussion, gone through research papers and finally ready.  The program was inaugurated by Former Finance Ministry Surendra Pandey but  I went there after formal session, there was the competition between 10 innovate web team (persuading engineering in different colleges). At the end of program, I invited for presentation. Here is the summary what I presented there

We are substantiation for revolution in ICTs, which profound implication for economic development and social development has driven this world. It has pervaded every aspect of human life whether it is health, education, economics, governance, entertainment, tourism etc.

In terms of Tourism, ICT is consider as broad terminology referring to multiple communication technologies which range from simple and complex namely Cell Phone applications (SMS), Digital Cameras, Internet, Wireless, VOIP,GPS, GIS, Convergence (data, voice, media), Digital radio and many more.

Tourism is currently one of the fastest gowning industries across the world. It is primarily a service industry as it does not produce goods but renders services to various classes of people. It is an combination of various interrelated industries and trade like food industry, transport industry etc. It is an complicated business because it involves multiple socio-economic activities like attracting people to a destination, transporting them, housing, feeding and entertaining etc.

ICT is crucial driving force in the current information driven society for tourism, It has provided new tools and enabled new distribution channels, thus creating a new business environment. The use of Geospatial Information Technologies in the recent years across the globe for varied purposes is popularly known and Tourism industry has not been an exception in availing its advantages. The role of ICT tools in the industry for marketing, operation, and management of customer is widely known

But the question arise why ICT fails (specially in the developing country like Nepal ). It is not  limited but the main reasons are due to not compatible for all devices (from desktop to mobile), not able to give information what people looking for. It is very difficult to find prices, availability and tour times, not showing currency conversions or a link to do it. Most common cases is not updated frequently  : out of date prices, discounts.  Most of the sites are not accurate mapping : stick a pin in a map of their location, but GPS taking us far from it. Not  good in search engine and mot recommended on social networks and travel networks. Sometimes, no instant contact method. If we consider these things I think your site will better readable for visitors.

Limitations:

• Unavailability of Internet and Education
• Reliability
• Fragmented Information
• Chances of misusing and misunderstanding of data/information
• Time Consuming
• Search engines for tourism
• Cost

Solutions:

• Awareness of scope and importance of digital way
• Participation
• User readability
• Open source

What is the Way?

Lets make it open. Where, Open Definition sets out principles to that define “openness” in relation to data and content.

“A piece of data or content is open if anyone is free to use, reuse, and redistribute it — subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and/or share-alike.”

Open Tourism motivate for potential powerful network, this means aggregation of simple action by millions of people creates better effect. We can say crowd sourcing is the way for making millions of people from different places involve in action, so finally it makes huge.

This drives the people to come in single platform, so it reduces extra effort of group formation and collaboration.  What we learned from past that, the organizing and collaborating is the most essential part for vibrant change driven society, and these days, the open technology lead this in very low budget and low time

Open Tourism guarantee the equal role and right for each individuals, so it call for global participation and extend the possibilities for external participation.

 

Open tourism is the lane for innovation and creativity, this explore the new possibility for social development and economic development, which lead the new possibilities of market. It can be the gateway for new business idea and new business opportunity

Free culture promotes the freedom to distribute and modify the creative works in forms of content.

 

Open street map is wiki map, where everyone is producer and consumer of mapping data. So people can easily add the places and paths. This is more reliable to explore and creates new tourist destinations.

Here is presentation slide

 

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