Seamful interweaving: heterogeneity in the theory and design of interactive systems

Design experience and theoretical discussion suggest that a narrow design focus on one tool or medium as primary may clash with the way that everyday activity involves the interweaving and combination of many heterogeneous media. Interaction may become seamless and unproblematic, even if the differences, boundaries and 'seams' in media are objectively perceivable. People accommodate and take advantage of seams and heterogeneity, in and through the process of interaction. We use an experiment with a mixed reality system to ground and detail our discussion of seamful design, which takes account of this process, and theory that reflects and informs such design. We critique the 'disappearance' mentioned by Weiser as a goal for ubicomp, and Dourish's 'embodied interaction' approach to HCI, suggesting that these design ideals may be unachievable or incomplete because they underemphasise the interdependence of 'invisible' non-rationalising interaction and focused rationalising interaction within ongoing activity

Recreation, tourism and nature in a changing world : proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 2010

Proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 201

Tourism in Metropolitan Manila - Philippines: An Analysis

Tourism has become important for (mega)cities in Southeast Asia. Metropolitan Manila competes in the tourism market, but its tourism is scholarly unexplored so far. This Ph.D. thesis takes the approach, that urban tourism is a system comprising interacting stakeholders at the supply and consumer side, and visitor attractions. This dissertation analyses and characterizes Metropolitan Manila`s tourism system referring to its stakeholders, visitor attractions and services. Metropolitan Manila is able to tap the domestic and international tourism market with various attraction resources. But Metropolitan Manila`s supply-side stakeholder field appears highly diverse. The relations among these stakeholders can be characterized through discontinuous links, unequal participation, and non power-sharing. This adverse status is aggravated through the absence of tourism policy, obsolete tourism planning approaches and the dominance of top-down deciding political elites. Consequently, a consensual, goal-oriented acting is inhibited. Instead stakeholders act mutually exclusive or compete with each other. Tourism is predominately seen as a valuable economic tool. As a result, other important dimensions of tourism like socio-cultural, experiential, and infrastructural aspects are negated to a great extent. The current visitor is a short staying stop-over traveller who recognizes the capital`s built heritage as unique. Visitor activities and spatial flow are mainly confined on the heritage of the city centre. But the visitor`s impression of the capital is negative and dissatisfaction with public sector services occurs. Valuable visitor attractions are difficult to access and the tourism infrastructure is perceived as weakly developed. This emphasizes that the tourism officials are not able to create a fully convincing tourism product and they neglect other metropolitan-wide tourism potentials. Recommended future measures should improve the cooperation of supply-side stakeholders and tourism planning embracing the whole metropolis. Moreover, measures must improve tourism infrastructure, public sector services, marketing, and destination image of the capital in order to enhance its competitiveness

Exploring urban visitors' mobilities. A multi-method approach

Aquesta tesi doctoral sorgeix de la necessitat d’aprofundir en el coneixement de les mobilitats dels visitants, entendre les decisions que configuren el seu comportament espacio-temporal i identificar i explorar els efectes que les seves mobilitats tenen sobre les destinacions urbanes. La tesi es desenvolupa entorn a quatre objectius específics que s’emmarquen en l’àmbit de recerca relacionat amb el seguiment de l’activitat dels visitants en destinacions turístiques urbanes. Cadascun d’aquests objectius es desenvolupa en cadascun dels articles científics que conformen aquesta tesi doctoral, publicats tots ells en revistes de revisió per parells. El primer article es proposa com a objectiu identificar els factors, relacionats amb el perfil socioeconòmic dels turistes i amb les característiques de la seva estada, que determinen la selecció d’opcions de transport i mobilitat sostenible per moure’s per la destinació urbana. El segon article pretén analitzar i comprendre com afecta el comportament espacio-temporal dels turistes en els seus patrons de consum econòmic i, per tant, en la generació d’ingressos per a l’economia local. El tercer article es proposa analitzar la influència de l’espai urbà sobre la forma en què els visitants es desplacen per la destinació. I finalment, el quart article té per objectiu reconstruir trajectòries i/o fluxos espacio-temporals a partir de dades geolocalitzades de les xarxes socials per tal de detectar patrons de mobilitat dels visitants de destinacions urbanes. Les fonts de dades i els mètodes utilitzats per complir amb els objectius de partida són diverses. En aquest sentit, la tesi aporta també una àmplia radiografia dels pros i les contres de les diferents fonts de dades disponibles per a l’anàlisi de les mobilitats dels visitants en destinacions turístiques.Esta tesis doctoral surge de la necesidad de profundizar en el conocimiento de las movilidades de los visitantes,entender las decisiones que configuran su comportamiento espaciotemporal e identificar y explorar los efectos que sus movilidades tienen sobre los destinos urbanos. La tesis se desarrolla en torno a cuatro objetivos específicos que se enmarcan en el ámbito de investigación de seguimiento de visitantes, y que se desarrollan en cada uno de los artículos científicos, publicados todos ellos en revistas de revisión por pares, que conforman esta tesis. El primer artículo se propone como objetivo identificar los factores, relacionados con el perfil socioeconómicos de los turistas y con las características de su estancia, que determinan la selección de opciones de transporte y movilidad sostenible para moverse por el destino urbano. El segundo artículo pretende analizar y comprender cómo afecta el comportamiento espaciotemporal de los turistas en sus patrones de consumo económico y, por tanto, en la generación de ingresos para la economía local. El tercer artículo se propone analizar la influencia del espacio urbano sobre la forma en que los visitantes se desplazan por el destino. Y finalmente, el cuarto artículo tiene por objetivo reconstruir trayectorias y / o flujos espaciotemporales a partir de datos geolocalizados de las redes sociales para detectar patrones de movilidad de los visitantes de destinos urbanos. Las fuentes de datos y los métodos utilizados para cumplir con los objetivos de partida son diversos. En este sentido, la tesis aporta también una amplia radiografía de los pros y contras de las diferentes fuentes de datos disponibles para el análisis de las movilidades de los visitantes en destinos turísticos.This dissertation arises from the need to deepen the knowledge of the mobility of visitors, understand the decisions that shape their spatiotemporal behaviour and identify and explore the effects that their mobility has on urban destinations. The thesis is developed around four specific objectives that fall within the scope of visitor tracking research, and that are developed in each of the scientific articles, all of them published in peer-reviewed journals, that make up this thesis. The first article aims to identify the factors, related to the socioeconomic profile of tourists and the characteristics of their stay, that determine the selection of sustainable transport and mobility options to move within the urban destination. The second article aims to analyse and understand how the visitors’ spatiotemporal behaviour affects their patterns of economic consumption and, therefore, the generation of income for the local economy. The third article aims to analyse the influence of the built environment on the visitors’ mobilities at destination. And finally, the fourth article aims to reconstruct trajectories and / or spatiotemporal flows from geolocated data obtained from social networks in order to detect visitors’ mobility patterns at urban destinations. The data sources and methods used to meet the objectives are multiple. In this sense, the thesis also provides an extensive x-ray of the pros and cons of the different data sources available for the analysis of visitors’ mobilities in tourist destinations

User-centred design of flexible hypermedia for a mobile guide: Reflections on the hyperaudio experience

A user-centred design approach involves end-users from the very beginning. Considering users at the early stages compels designers to think in terms of utility and usability and helps develop the system on what is actually needed. This paper discusses the case of HyperAudio, a context-sensitive adaptive and mobile guide to museums developed in the late 90s. User requirements were collected via a survey to understand visitors’ profiles and visit styles in Natural Science museums. The knowledge acquired supported the specification of system requirements, helping defining user model, data structure and adaptive behaviour of the system. User requirements guided the design decisions on what could be implemented by using simple adaptable triggers and what instead needed more sophisticated adaptive techniques, a fundamental choice when all the computation must be done on a PDA. Graphical and interactive environments for developing and testing complex adaptive systems are discussed as a further step towards an iterative design that considers the user interaction a central point. The paper discusses how such an environment allows designers and developers to experiment with different system’s behaviours and to widely test it under realistic conditions by simulation of the actual context evolving over time. The understanding gained in HyperAudio is then considered in the perspective of the developments that followed that first experience: our findings seem still valid despite the passed time

Conceptualising supply-side seasonality in tourism, a study of the temporal trading behaviours for small tourism businesses in Scotland

Seasonality in tourism is one of its most enduring features. During the past half century, the phenomenon has been studied extensively in order to gain insight into its dynamics. However, much of the empirical evidence has been developed from a demand-side perspective, focusing on the temporal travel behaviours and motivations of consumers. Conversely, relatively little attention has been paid to tourism's diverse supply-side elements, especially those at the destination. This study aims to redress that imbalance. It considers a key element of the destination mix in Scotland, the privately operated small tourism related business, specifically those who operate their business on a seasonal basis. Such businesses epitomise supply-side seasonality, yet their temporal operating behaviours and the underlying motivations and influences of these have evaded systematic examination. The thesis is therefore an attempt to aid understanding of the relationships between tourism seasonality and small business service provision. It represents an inductive, interpretivistic approach to the subject. In reviewing the tourism seasonality and small business literatures, it is argued that existing constructs of seasonality, entrepreneurialism and growth orientation, family business and 'lifestyle' business fail to shed light on the complexities of temporal trading among small businesses and indeed on the meanings of 'seasonality' from a supply-side perspective. Moreover, findings from an exploratory study and contextual literature reveal a variety of contextual factors that impinge on temporal trading behaviours. A nationwide survey of seasonally trading Scottish small businesses identifies distinct patterns of behaviour, influences and motivations according to type of business, demographic and contextual variables. Disposition and circumstance are identified as key formative elements in conceptualising supply-side temporal behaviours.Seasonality in tourism is one of its most enduring features. During the past half century, the phenomenon has been studied extensively in order to gain insight into its dynamics. However, much of the empirical evidence has been developed from a demand-side perspective, focusing on the temporal travel behaviours and motivations of consumers. Conversely, relatively little attention has been paid to tourism's diverse supply-side elements, especially those at the destination. This study aims to redress that imbalance. It considers a key element of the destination mix in Scotland, the privately operated small tourism related business, specifically those who operate their business on a seasonal basis. Such businesses epitomise supply-side seasonality, yet their temporal operating behaviours and the underlying motivations and influences of these have evaded systematic examination. The thesis is therefore an attempt to aid understanding of the relationships between tourism seasonality and small business service provision. It represents an inductive, interpretivistic approach to the subject. In reviewing the tourism seasonality and small business literatures, it is argued that existing constructs of seasonality, entrepreneurialism and growth orientation, family business and 'lifestyle' business fail to shed light on the complexities of temporal trading among small businesses and indeed on the meanings of 'seasonality' from a supply-side perspective. Moreover, findings from an exploratory study and contextual literature reveal a variety of contextual factors that impinge on temporal trading behaviours. A nationwide survey of seasonally trading Scottish small businesses identifies distinct patterns of behaviour, influences and motivations according to type of business, demographic and contextual variables. Disposition and circumstance are identified as key formative elements in conceptualising supply-side temporal behaviours

Are we China-ready? Chinese tourism in Western Australia

Chinese tourism to Australia has grown substantially since the start of the millennium, and this group of travellers is now the top international tourism spender. This report looks at the characteristics of Chinese visitors coming to Western Australia, their detailed travel experiences while here and whether WA is China-ready to take advantage of the boom. We use a range of data sources to capture information on Chinese visitor travel experiences, including Chinese travel websites, Tourism Research Association (TRA) surveys, intercept surveys at Perth International Airport, and industry workshops. The report finds that Chinese visitors are young, with money to spend – 75% of Chinese visitors to Western Australia are aged 20 to 40 years, and spend on average almost $500 per night when they stay in Australia. Chinese visitors see WA as a destination to enjoy an unpolluted environment, to see the distinctive flora and fauna, and to experience the natural beauty of the coast and inland regions. The report recommends trip itineraries suitable for Chinese visitors and provides consumer and market insights that could be used to inform tourism industry management and influence government policies and strategies. While WA may not be China-ready yet, this report suggests policy changes the WA Government can make to capture this growing market. Extending trading hours to 6.30pm on weeknights and additional earlier trade on Sundays is one way the WA Government could increase the$291 million already being spent in the State by Chinese visitors each year. The report also recommends tourism operators develop and market their products to appeal to this growing market. Of the 22 tourism providers surveyed, 78 per cent did not have any Asian language skills or training and 44 per cent had no training or experience in the Asian market. Participation by tourism providers in courses such as the ChinaReady® accreditation program, and informal online learning, could see an increase in Chinese visitor number. However, some government assistance will be required if we are to fully capitalise on the opportunities this market brings to the WA economy

“All roads lead to Fatima”: Religious tourism at the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary

In the centennial of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, this chapter analyzes the religious tourism at Cova da Iria: historical and anthropological contextualization of the religious phenomenon; the initial stages of the pilgrimage as spontaneous occurrences without organized touristic facilities; tourism development while the rural landscape was being transformed by the construction of buildings and structures to the religious cult and host facilities appropriating icons and symbols related to the apparitions; the consolidation of the cult with the papal devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, the seers beatifcation, and canonization and the centennial celebrations imposing a complex management of the sanctuary activities and spaces; as well as a challenging communication of its religious meanings. Conceived as a case study, this research is based on a qualitative methodology involving a bibliographic research towards a theoretical framework, as well as anthropological methods such as direct observation

Volume 14, Nos. 1 and 2

Editors introduction.PapersHow are we to grow old? Robin Burley.The social and psychological aspects of smart home technology within the care sector, Guy Dewsbury.From caring home to smart house - a needs led evolution, D A Bradley, S Levy and S J Brownsell.Frankenstein homes: would you want to live in one? Bruce J Taylor.Design with care, Keith Cheverst, Karen Clarke, Sue Cobb, Terry Hemmings, Stewart Kember, Keith Mitchell, Peter Phillips, Rob Procter, Tom Rodden and Mark Rouncefield.Hospital managers closely observed: some features of new technology and everyday managerial work, Karen Clarke, Mark Hartswood, Rob Procter and Mark Rouncefield