a case from Fanø, Danish Wadden Sea Area, for conveying information on nature, cultural

environment and history

Potential uses of new mobile technologies to improve location  based tourist communication

ToLearn mid-term Conference Leeuwarden NL 7.-9. November 2007

Niels Chr. Nielsen

Institute of Business Communication and Information Science  

Center for Tourism, Innovation and Communication, Esbjerg

+45 6550 1582 ncn@sitkom.sdu.dk

Structure of presentationThe setting and background of actual projectTechnological background and optionsPlans and visionsRole of SDU and partners – for discussion / input

Pilot region: Danish Wadden Sea

Protected areas, proposed World Heritage area and/or National Park

Implementation ProjectsIn each pilot region one innovative activity, proven effective in strengthening the sustainable quality of tourism, will be selected. These activities will receive support in terms of their implementation. The implementation will be monitored and evaluated.. (from project web site)

So we looked around for innovative activities..

and found one nearby!

The actual project

Goals: Nature restoration, leading to increased biodiversity, grazing from local farmers -> distinct meat products, improved accessibility, information/education on nature, sustainable tourism – mediated with information and communications technology.

Initiative by local “Agenda 21” group, a loose grouping of concerned citizens, supported by the municipality.

Role of SDU / TIC: What works in tourism?

What’s technologically possible?

National/International cooperation and inspiration

Implementation objective: Informing about natural and cultural history while minimising “visual noise”

Setting = North Frisian IslandFanø background:

3200 inhabitants

area 56 km2 ( 57 inh. per km2)

Towns: Nordby 2600, Sønderho 300

Own municipality (voted for independence 2005)

about 1 mio. tourist stays/year, 100% full in high season, no ambition for numerical expansion

mostly in the ~ 2800 summer houses, majority hired out on weekly basis

main attraction: beach, sun and sand (summer), picturesque villages – but ambitions for more (all year)

Activities: Kite flying, sand buggy, blow carts etc.

Kite Fliers Meeting 2007, from http://www.kitefliersmeetingfanoe.de/Strandgalerie_2007/

Living at Fanø

is living in the nature

Alternative activities

Forest playground, restored duck decoys, folklore, music (Godtfolk)

Photo: Helle Kongevang, Fanø 2005

Ørreddammene (the Sea Trout Farm)

Failed business adventure 1953-54

Traces in the landscape

Nature restoration immediately to the N, EU LIFE project: clearing brush/forest, changing hydrological conditions

Local intitiative group comes together on the multi-functional plan (despite otherwise conflicting interests)

Where’s tourism in this? A new activity/attraction?

Landscape development

1880190019542005

The area today

Restorationplan

computer generated model

Another restoration projectSønderho gamle fulgekøje (Duck decoy)

Approaches to informationTraditional:

Folders

Information boards

Marked tours

Guided tours

New ICT:

Web sites (map interfaces)

Mobile browsing, convergence?

Audio guides (rented/lent to phone)

GPS-guided tours

Geocaching

Same, modified or new content?

Providers? A role for the local tourist office?

Integrated in GuideDanmark, through visitdenmark.com?

from Nielsen and Liburd (2008, submitted to JTTM)

Visitor information search/use

Mobile Tourist InformationGround research and implementation test project 2004-5

Partners: Universities, tourist bureaus, tech companies, Danish Tourist Board (VisitDenmark)

Reference: Liburd, J.J. (2005) Sustainable Tourism and Innovation in Mobile Tourism Services. Tourism Review International vol. 9(1): 107-118

Mobile interface for the GuideDanmark database (~15,000 entries), background maps, attached GPS

Conclusions: Time to start process of learning to produce content for mobile, geo-related tourist information. Build new mediation competences and organisatorial cooperation. In the short run no mass market for mobile tourist information, but what about 2008?

Other initiativesNordic Handscape, open air museums/archaeology: http://www.nordichandscape.net/

Cultural Environment Portal:

www.kulturmiljoportalen.dk

Hot Spot Nord

www.visitnordjylland.dk

Content?Depending of contributors, stakeholders

History: What happened here? Construct examples or stay with strict truth? Historical maps: raw or interpreted?

Activities: What can we do here? Where to run?

Nature: What is this, how did it get here? EU (protected) habitat types, protection status – restrictions for use

Culture: What is it used for, and by whom?

Text, image, video, sound – (when) necessary ?

Necessary / auxiliary physical objects, interplay

Content contributors?

Local knowledge (making the tacit accessible)

Professionals (teachers, nature guides, Fisheries and Seafaring Museum Esbjerg)

Users through response, debate, webblogs (SMS), need for editing? A web 2.0 / Neogeography site?

Should information be tailored for select target groups?

Topic for Workshop to be?!

Visions and ideas for content and activities:

Bird sounds to phone

Tracks with length proportional to migratory birds flying distance

Image database of plants and animals

Interaction, user generated information, “people as sensors” (observing, measuring)

from members of the Agenda Group Oct.-Nov. 2007

Topic for Workshop to be?!

The way forward?

Google ”Android” promotional illustration

Phone = personal computer..

Hotspot/WiFi on the beach?

“Breaking news”

Thank you.