Hardly any other application bears information content with such a distinctive geographic relation, like tourism websites. This includes accommodations, places of interest, leisure, outdoor-activities, entertainment, infrastructure, gastronomy and many more. Especially on vacation trips interesting positions in the vicinity are of utmost interest.

Lines/Areas - KML

Some activities take place in large scale and are presented as lines and areas.

In the city tourism that are for instance round trips and sightseeing paths, city hikes, etc..
In rural holiday areas that are hiking trails, fixed rope routes, mountain bike and street bike trails, cross-country ski runs, ski and toboggan runs, rafting and canoeing routes, starting and landing zones, etc..

Panoramas - Leap function

Panorama-pictures and aerial views show a region from points of view, which convey more stereoscopic impressions than a map. By means of leap-spots it is possible to jump with a mouse click from one outlook to another one and enjoy the view from there.

3 Dimensions - Google Earth

The impression which is conveyed gets even more stereoscopic and more informative if interactive three-dimensional pictures are provided. With the Google Earth view not only punctual locations but also lines and areas get shown in the three-dimensional perspective. With it a website visitor is able to get a very realistic perception of a mountain bike route, a hiking tour, etc..
Integration of all information - Stop the „Internet-Zapping“

Currently two trends are altering the behavior of internet users sustainable.

The volume of information on websites is growing. Thus the number of menus is increasing which force visitors to slog their way through.

The complexity of websites increases. Some technologies need instructions to operate them. Others require long download periods, which tax the patience of website visitors.

In order to find information quickly, visitors zap websites. The time people are spending per page or site decreases. Only a few users work their way down to the second or third level, even less into further levels. Factors that could increase the time a user spends on a page are:

1. •Clear arrangement: Website visitors like intuitive navigation, when surfing through the menus.
   

2. •Easy usage and menus: All maps, panoramas, overview maps, air photographs are operated with the same intuitive user interface. This is easier and quicker.
   

3. •Prompt response
   Visitors appreciate on a website a logic reference point where they return again and again when surfing through the menus
   

4. •Corporate Operation - One operating concept for all graphic contents
   All maps, panoramas, overview maps, aerial pictures get displayed with one and the same intuitively to operate Google Maps technology.
   That‘s easier and quicker.
   

5. •The map as navigation platform
   The more geographic content a website provides the more reason one has to use maps as the central navigation tool on a website
   Besides embedding multiple maps, each map can be organized using a legend. Other systems can be linked to PinPoints (locations) in the map directly.
   This results in better arranged content with less links and less menus.
   

Explanation of the demonstration

1. •The demonstration is currently only available in German language.
   

2. •The demonstration covers the area of the valleys Oetztal and Pitztal. However its focus primarily is Soelden in the southern part of the valley.
   

3. •The width of the page is 870 pixels, which can be viewed with older computers and monitors. But this is too small for recent hardware. Via the button „full screen“, the map can be enlarged to any size. The operating menus still are displayed at the top of the page. The larger a map, the better the overview.
   

4. •The demonstration consists of 11 menus. The demonstration provides 8 different theme maps. A panoramic view of the skiing area, 11 panoramas in one view and an aerial photograph of a village complete the demonstration.
   

5. •Map view - Corporate Map
   Visitors can choose different map alternatives:
   

6. -Map
   

7. -Satellite
   

8. -Hybrid
   

9. -Topographic map/Terrain
   

10. -Hiking map
    The hiking map was geo-referenced and thus is congruent with the other background alternatives. Due to its native resolution, the zoom range is limited.
    

11. -More
    The Google provided layers „Wiki“ and „Pano“ can be activated using checkboxes.
    

12. Via the checkboxes „Summer“ and „Winter“ it is possible to display information which were transfered from OSM - Open Street Map. With this method existing information concerning any topic and region can be filtered, combined and embedded as mashup.
    
    

13. -Preferred view
    The default sector, the background view and the zoom level can be set for each page.
    

14. •Multiple utilization of locations
    Several PinPoints/locations, e.g. mountains, sports outfitters and web cams get shown in different maps.
    

15. •Lines, areas - KML
    In some maps hiking trails, fixed rope routes, mountain bike and bicycle tracks, cross-country ski runs, downhill ski runs, toboggan runs, rafting- and kayak-routes, starting- and landing zones for para gliders, bus-lines, etc. are embedded. There are three options to activate them:
    

1. 1.Activated continuously
   The KML get already shown when the menu gets activated. (Hiking; mountain biking; local golf courses)
   

2. 2.Via a category-icon in the legend (Winter-map: Alpine skiing, others; resort information: arrival)
   

3. 3.Directly by clicking onto an icon in the map or the list (summer: hiking, biking, other summer activities; resort information: leisure time facilities - sightseeing)
   

4. •Track profiles
   In the business cards of the mountain bike tracks is a link to existing track profiles integrated. When clicking on the link the profile opens in a new window. Beside the map-view an active elevation profile is shown. By moving the cursor through the elevation profiles the corresponding position in the map moves.
   

5. •Room booking
   552 accommodations are displayed in the menu resort information/accommodations in Soelden. The hotels can be booked directly via the link „book a room“. It‘s not necessary to change to another menu.
   

6. •Web cams
   Web cam images are displayed in the map when clicking the icon in the map or the list. By showing the web cam pictures additionally in the list users quickly gain first impressions.
   

7. •Leap functions
   11 panoramas, which show the Oetz valley can be accessed with the menu „panorama“. The pictures can be moved and zoomed with the familiar Google Maps operating concept.
   The numbered location markers indicate places where panoramas have been taken. The icons have a „leap-function“. By clicking on them one can change to the corresponding place and enjoy the view from there.
   

8. •Google Earth
   By clicking the button „Google Earth“ on the right side of the menu, the content of the current map can be viewed in 3D. Google Earth is started if it is installed on the computer of the visitor. Location markers and KML-information as lines and areas are transferred from PinPoint to the visitor‘s computer and displayed. The legend is passive; instead the visitor can use Google Earth‘s built in checkboxes.
   

9. •Aerial photographs
   An aerial photograph of Serfaus can be opened in the menu „Luftbild Serfaus“. Due to the optical distortion

   

   the location markers are not geo-referenced.
   

10. Optionally it is possible to link the position of the same location in the map, when activating the leap-function. A same function can be activated to link back from the map to the aerial photograph.