The Scotsman article explores how data and technology are being used to assist tackling many visitor management issues across Scotland’s areas of natural beauty, including its national parks and coastlines.
On the Isle of Skye, sensors are being deployed to show how busy some areas are. This can then alert Highland Council to the potential need to empty bins, close a car park or direct people to other sites through social media, signage or using council staff.
In East Lothian, a new visitor app launched in April 2022 uses sensor data at beach car parks to gauge the ‘busyness’ and allow visitors and locals to choose a quieter spot, as well as offering suggestions for places to eat and visit nearby.
In addition to alleviating the potential for bottlenecks in visitor hotspots, data could also help visitors to explore further afield. When it comes to spreading the movement of large numbers of tourists, Josh Ryan-Saha says it is important to get them “to think beyond where they are going, or planning to go”.
To find out more about some of the Traveltech companies involved in the data and technology initiatives being developed across Scotland and to read the full Scotsman article click on the link below.
