Online Interactive MapGuides

It is impossible to overstate the importance of online marketing and brand maintenance to the tourism industry. The Geotourism Program provides an opportunity to drive traffic from a number of sources to a comprehensive information gateway.

Solimar can produce a richly interactive geotourism website that promotes the geotourism initiative in the destination. The centerpiece of the website is a dynamic map viewer that utilizes the Microsoft Virtual Earth platform. The website allows the general public to nominate sites that best present the destination’s authentic character and appeal. Nominations are made through online forms for submission and are reviewed by the Geotourism Stewardship Council.

The online map presents scores of geotourism icons that can include: cultural heritage, wildlife, town life, geology, changing landscape, outdoor recreation, festivals and events. Each icon also has a brief description of the destination with links to accompanying websites. Users are able to search by location and subject, and can view destination categories all together, one at a time, or in various combinations.

The website also contains a tool that allows the Council and tourism authorities to track the use of the system. Site managers and content contributors can see how many people look at each specific item, month-by-month. Portal managers can track the number of people who visit the site, order printed maps, subscribe to eNewsletters and save their favorite content. The website will encourage visitors to subscribe, as a subscriber base is a key resource resulting from the MapGuide. Tracking subscriber usage can reveal which sites are of most interest and can help to custom-tailor future communication with subscribers.

Visit our latest project web portal: Douro Valley, Portugal.