A Support System of Sightseeing Tour Planning Using Public Transportation in Japanese Rural Areas

Though most of tourists tend to visit multiple sightseeing spots during their sightseeing tours, it is difficult for them to efficiently acquire information necessary for their sightseeing tour planning. Additionally, in rural area, many people hope to use public transportation which has not developed as much as in urban areas. The present study aims to design and develop a support system of sightseeing tour planning in Japanese rural areas, adopting the information related to real timetables of public transportation on both the sea and the ground, and genetic algorism (GA). The system was developed integrating moving route recommendation system, web-geographic information systems (Web-GIS), and augmented reality (AR) application. Furthermore, Kagawa Prefecture in the western part was selected as the operation target area. The operation of the system was conducted for two months, targeting those inside and outside the operation target area, and web questionnaire surveys were conducted. From the evaluation results based on the web questionnaire surveys, the usefulness of all the original functions as well as of the entire system was analyzed. Additionally, though some users could not easily use the system, it is expected that they will get used to utilizing it by their continuous use.