Improving Croatian Tourist Information via Location-Based Public Service Through Mobile Phone

Abstract

The paper analyses the reasons for the development and the possibilities of implementing the applications for mobile terminal devices in order to improve the tourist information in the Republic of Croatia. The application has been developed in J2ME environment at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. The results of experimental application have justified this research. The basic idea is to prove the justification of implementing the services based on the user’s location in improving the process of informing the traffic system users, mainly regarding the provision of new classes of services in the field of tourism. The paper presents the conceptual, logical and physical operation model of the application intended for real-time informing of the traffic system users interested in the tourist offer of their current location. The paper also presents the analysis of the necessary information and communication technologies which are used to achieve real-time and location-based information. The research is based on the fact that tourism in the Republic of Croatia is the fundamental development orientation. What has been noticed is the currently relatively poor information level based on the principles that are lagging behind technologically and that offer out-of-date and poor quality information. The result of the application developed through implementation is a better level of information provided to the potential users of tourist services in Croatia.