GIS techniques in tourism and recreation planning: application to wildlife tourism

This chapter introduces the main applications of geographical information systems (GIS) as well as their specific applications in tourism and recreation planning in natural environments. A case study is presented on the application of GIS in wildlife tourism in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is argued that GIS is particularly useful for evaluating the appeal to tourists of a particular place or region, for predicting the number of potential visitors to a recreational area, or for assessing the impact of tourists on wildlife. Such information can help to identify ecological and tourism hotspots and in doing so make a valuable contribution to conservation and public policy concerns