Potential uses of new mobile technologies to

improve location based tourist communication

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

Niels Chr. Nielsen

Institute of Business Communication and Information Science
Center for Tourism, Innovation and Communication, Esbjerg
+45 6550 1582 ncn@sitkom.sdu.dk

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

Structure of presentation
■The setting and background of actual project
■Technological background and options
■Plans and visions
■Role of SDU and partners – for discussion / input
Pilot region:
Danish Wadden Sea
Protected areas, proposed
World Heritage area
and/or National Park
Implementation Projects
In 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
Initiative by local “Agenda 21” group, a loose grouping of
concerned citizens, supported by the municipality.
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.
Implementation objective: Informing about natural and cultural
history while minimising “visual noise”

Role of SDU / TIC: What works in tourism?

What’s technologically possible?
National/International cooperation and inspiration
Setting = North Frisian Island
Fanø 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/
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Alternative activities

Photo: Helle Kongevang, Fanø 2005

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

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

1880
1900
1954
2005
The area today
Restoration
plan

computer generated model

Another restoration project
Sønderho gamle fulgekøje (Duck decoy)
Approaches to information
Traditional: New ICT:
Folders Web sites (map interfaces)
Information boards Mobile browsing,
convergence?
Marked tours
Audio guides (rented/lent
Guided tours 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?
Visitor information search/use

from Nielsen and Liburd (2008, submitted to JTTM)

Mobile Tourist Information
Ground research and implementation test project 2004-5
Partners: Universities, tourist bureaus, tech companies,
Danish Tourist Board (VisitDenmark)
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?
Reference: Liburd, J.J. (2005) Sustainable Tourism and Innovation in Mobile Tourism Services.
Tourism Review International vol. 9(1): 107-118
Other initiatives
Nordic 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?
Professionals (teachers, nature guides, Fisheries and
Seafaring Museum Esbjerg)
Local knowledge (making the tacit accessible)
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:
from members of the Agenda Group Oct.-Nov. 2007
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)

Topic for Workshop to be?!

The way forward?
Phone = personal
computer..
Hotspot/WiFi on the
beach?

Google ”Android” promotional illustration

“Breaking news”
Thank you.