GIS Based Network Analysis for Tourist Destinations

A Case Study for Shimla City, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

In the modern world of technologies, time is considered as precious as gold. The intelligible use of time leads to explore lot of opportunities. People those who want to go for recreation or sightseeing in different hill stations as tourists, may need to have some information about those places. Sometimes due to lack of proper geographical knowledge they spend more time and money and enjoy less. Knowledge of shortest routes from the places of accommodation to the historical-tourist places will be both time saving and economic. This can be obtained through GIS technologies. Geographical Information System software is used to determine the shortest route between the prominent locations of the city. In the present study the tourist places and roads of Shimla city have been selected for network analysis.Complicated network of roads require analysis to improve the movement of people, goods, services and the flow of resources This study focuses on determining the optimal route between two or more distances based on specific time and travel expense.The study is carried out for Shimla city, where lots of historical and natural landscapes are attracting the tourists both foreign and domestic. GIS based network analysis is carried out by taking advantages of GIS possibilities for tourism. Shortest and optimal path in terms of time and length are carried out by using net work analysis of Arc GIS.9.3 and ERDAS Imagine9.2