Authors :
T.D.C. Pushpakumara; L.P.R.C. Jayasinghe
Volume/Issue :
Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 12 - December
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/murmh2xy
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/3z6wkymv
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14550826
Abstract :
This study presents a robust methodology for
discovering and classifying novel hiking trails within
mountainous terrains, which are subsequently ranked
based on their suitability for hiking and their difficulty
level. The identified routes are then introduced to the
broader hiking community through the innovative use of a
mobile application. The ultimate objective of this research
is to bolster hiking tourism. To validate the methodology, a
real-world experiment was conducted in Horton Plains
National Park (HPNP) located in Sri Lanka. An impressive
number of 60 distinct trails were successfully identified
within HPNP's terrain, with each trail's suitability and
difficulty meticulously calculated. The study revealed that
among the 60 trails uncovered, 12 pose moderate
challenges to hikers, while the remaining 48 are
characterized by low difficulty. We refined the selection by
choosing five trails from each difficulty level based on the
highest suitability scores. In collaboration with domain
experts, we developed a user-friendly mobile application to
showcase the selected trails. These trails were stored in the
Google My Maps platform, which was integrated with our
mobile application, facilitating seamless access of trail
data. Additionally, this integration enables the usage of the
Google Maps application for offline navigation along the
trails, utilizing GPS technology for accurate positioning.
This research has accomplished its intended goal,
evidenced by the successful identification of new hiking
routes within Horton Plains National Park using
Geographical Information System (GIS) technology, and
the creation of a mobile application featuring the most
suitable hiking trails.
Keywords :
Hiking Trails; Hiking Tourism; GIS; Trail Recommendation System.
References :
- Cole, T. R. (2018). Investigating The Thru-hiking Experience: A Study on the pacific northwest national scenic trail . Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional.
- D.Koller, P. L. (1995). Virtual GIS: A Real-Time 3D Geographic Information System.". IEEE Conference on Visualization (pp. 94-100). IEEE.
- Damianos Gavalas, C. K. (2014). Mobile Recommender Systems in Tourism. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 1-24.
- Daminda Sumanapala, I. D. (2020). Think globally, act locally: Current understanding and future directions for nature-based tourism research in Sri Lanka. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 295-308.
- Eddie Hill, S. C. (2009). Benefits of Hiking: A Means-End Approach on the Appalachian Trail. Journal of Unconventional Parks,Tourism & Recreation Research, 02(01), 19-27.
- Edirisooriya K. V. D, W. K. (2018). The potential of Horton Plains National Park as Geo Tourism Destination: Inventory & Evaluation. The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Special Issue. (2), 654-658.
- Faming Huang, J. Y. (2020). Regional Terrain Complexity Assessment Based on Principal Component Analysis and Geographic Information System: A Case of Jiangxi Province, China. International Journal of Geo-Information, 09, 1-18.
- Hilal Turgut, A. Y. (2020). Introducing the Hiking Suitability Index to evaluate mountain forest roads as potential hiking routes – a case study in Hatila Valley National Park, Turkey. eco.mont, 13.(1), 55-66.
- Jean-Paul Calbimonte, S. M. (2020). Semantic Data Models for Hiking Trail Difficulty Assessment. Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism (pp. 1-13). springer .
- Jesus Vias, J. R. (2018). Recommendation system to determine suitable and viable hiking routes: a prototype application in Sierra de las Nieves Nature Reserve (southern Spain). J Geogr Syst,, 20, 275-294.
- Mario Molokac, J. H. (2022). The Preference Analysis for Hikers’ Choice of Hiking Trail. sustainability MDPI, 1-18.
- Peters, B. F. (2021). Soft adventure motivation: an exploratory study of hiking tourism. TOURISM REVIEW, 76(02), 473*-488.
- Prebensen, I. N. (2015). Hiking as Mental and Physical Experience. Advances in Hospitality and Leisure, 169-186.
- Seonjeong Ally Lee, A. M. (2018). An assessment of value dimensions in hiking tourism: Pathways toward quality of life. wiley.
- Tourism, M. o. (2021). Sri Lanka Tourism Strategic Plan 2017-2020. Ministry of Tourism Development.
- Vias Jesus, J. R. (2018). Recommendation system to determine suitable and valuable hiking routes. Journal of Geographic System, 20(3), 275-294.
- Vias, J. a. (2014). Multicriteria evaluation by GIS to determine trail hiking suitability in a natural park. Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, 323-339.
This study presents a robust methodology for
discovering and classifying novel hiking trails within
mountainous terrains, which are subsequently ranked
based on their suitability for hiking and their difficulty
level. The identified routes are then introduced to the
broader hiking community through the innovative use of a
mobile application. The ultimate objective of this research
is to bolster hiking tourism. To validate the methodology, a
real-world experiment was conducted in Horton Plains
National Park (HPNP) located in Sri Lanka. An impressive
number of 60 distinct trails were successfully identified
within HPNP's terrain, with each trail's suitability and
difficulty meticulously calculated. The study revealed that
among the 60 trails uncovered, 12 pose moderate
challenges to hikers, while the remaining 48 are
characterized by low difficulty. We refined the selection by
choosing five trails from each difficulty level based on the
highest suitability scores. In collaboration with domain
experts, we developed a user-friendly mobile application to
showcase the selected trails. These trails were stored in the
Google My Maps platform, which was integrated with our
mobile application, facilitating seamless access of trail
data. Additionally, this integration enables the usage of the
Google Maps application for offline navigation along the
trails, utilizing GPS technology for accurate positioning.
This research has accomplished its intended goal,
evidenced by the successful identification of new hiking
routes within Horton Plains National Park using
Geographical Information System (GIS) technology, and
the creation of a mobile application featuring the most
suitable hiking trails.
Keywords :
Hiking Trails; Hiking Tourism; GIS; Trail Recommendation System.