Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
information is continuing to increase, although there is concern over its commodifi cation and
access, along with implications for privacy. Third, improvements and changes in information
and communications technology and services, including costs, convergence and miniaturisa-
tion, will be a major driver in the use of such technology in spatial analysis. Fourth, there will
be ongoing methodological development along with better packaging and presentation of
outputs for end-users. Indeed, the continued growth of user-generated content is likely to be
a major driver in spatial analysis and geographical information systems in the foreseeable
future. This is also likely to lead to greater integration of quantitative and qualitative methods
in spatial research with respect to tourist behaviours as well as destination marketing and
design. It is also possible the methodological integration will provide for stronger relation-
ships between the human and physical geographical dimensions of research on tourism and
the environment. Fifth, it is likely that there will be a continuing growth of interest in spatial
analysis from the public and private sector, given the spatial dimension of economic and
regional development as well as public interest in spatial technologies and representation.
Such interest is likely to become a signifi cant driver for both research funding and careers.
This chapter has highlighted the increasingly signifi cant role of spatial analysis in tourism
geography. After many years of being out of favour, quantitative spatial analysis is being
adopted again in light of the recognition of the vital role of GIS and spatial data in contem-
porary tourism planning, management and marketing. However, the critical function of
spatial analysis and its value in policy arguments is also being rediscovered, particularly
because of its explanatory powers with respect to accessibility issues and the possibilities of
combining quantitative and qualitative approaches in spatial analysis. Indeed, critical geogra-
phies, and critical tourisms, are all the poorer without an understanding of spatial analysis. In
the end the problem of being academically critical is not so much an issue of method per se
but rather a conscious refl ection on the questions, craft, methods, results and arguments of
research, and a decision about the interests that are served.
