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Digital Planet: A Route 66 of the Future: Digital Tourism

Factual: Science & Nature

Venice

02/07/2013

A Route 66 of the Future: Digital Tourism

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, A Route 66 of the Future: Digital Tourism

How developments in mapping, travel apps and crowd sourcing are influencing tourism

How developments in mapping, travel apps and crowd sourcing are influencing travel and tourism. Does the ease of locating destinations and attractions make for a richer experience?

Click looks at how developments in Google mapping and travel apps are influencing travel and tourism. Does the ease of locating destinations, hotels, restaurants and sites of interest make for a richer and more rewarding experience for tourists?

What is the impact on native populations in the most popular cities, with hordes of tourists wandering the streets, following digital maps and reading suggestions from apps on mobile devices? 

The sheer number of tourists and the need to transport them, in cities such as Venice, inevitably has a huge ecological legacy. Click hears about plans for electric powered boats only in the Venice lagoon. And, finds out how Glasgow is embracing big data and technological tools to become a smarter city that's even more friendly towards tourists.

Finally, can technology help to dampen or lessen the negative consequences of mass tourism?

(Image: Venice canal scene with canal boat. Credit: Bill Thompson)

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