University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst International CHRIE Conference-Refereed Track 2009 ICHRIE Conference Jul 31st, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Geoportals and Geocollaborative Portals: Functionality and Impacts on Travellers' Trip Panning and Decision Making Processes Marianna Sigala
[email protected] Sigala, Marianna, "Geoportals and Geocollaborative Portals: Functionality and Impacts on Travellers' Trip Panning and Decision Making Processes" (2009). International CHRIE Conference-Refereed Track. 28. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/refereed/Sessions/Friday/28 This Conceptual Refereed Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Hospitality & Tourism Management at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in International CHRIE Conference-Refereed Track by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. GEOPORTALS AND GEOCOLLABORATIVESigala: Geoportals and Geocollaborative PORTALS: Portals and FUNCTIONALITY Trip Planning Process AND IMPACTS ON TRAVELLERS’ TRIP PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES Marianna Sigala University of the Aegean Chios, Chios Island, Greece ABSTRACT As more and more travelers wish to create their personalised trip itineraries, the provision of geographical information and services is an unavoidable necessity for travel websites. The current evolution of geoportals and geocollaborative portals present numerous opportunities for making the trip planning process less complex and time consuming, more efficient, social, collaborative and enjoyable for travelers and their travel companions. This paper aimed to analyse the functionality and services of geoportals and geocollaborative portals and to thoroughly demonstrate their impacts on the trip planning and decision making processes on travelers. The discussion provides practical guidelines for designing geoportals and/or geocollaborative portals and directing future research.