Dec 03, 2018 GIS in Tourism: Exploring the 10 Tallest Buildings in the United States

By Justin Sorensen

GIS (Geospatial Information Systems) are utilized by many fields and industries throughout the world. To highlight some of these fields, our Map Monday releases for the 2018 Fall Semester will provide examples of ways GIS can be employed within the work performed by such professionals.

For this map release, we will look at an example of GIS in Tourism.

Exploring the 10 Tallest Buildings in the United States

The tourism industry brings together many aspects of travel including: transportation services, hotel accommodations, recreational activities, and entertainment to name a few. One of the ways GIS can be employed within this profession is through its 3-dimensional touring capabilities, allowing individuals the ability to virtually preview locations they will visit prior to their departure. This geospatial video demonstrates the possible results for this type of project utilizing the 3-dimensional capabilities of Google Earth, allowing us to create a tour of the 10 tallest buildings in the United States. To create a project like this, develop a geospatial project using Google Earth that navigates to each location in your tour, then use video capturing / editing software to create your final product…it’s just that simple.

When developing an example such as this, several geospatial processes are employed to depict the features being visualized within the map. These geospatial processes include:

• Google Earth: a program rendering 3D images of the Earth based on satellite imagery and 3D modeling.
• Video Capturing / Editing Software: various programs are available – for this project, Camtasia was used for final production.

Interested in additional examples of GIS in Tourism? Check out these past Map Monday releases:

• Exploring the 20 Highest Mountain Peaks in Utah
• Exploring Utah’s National Historic Landmarks & Register of Historic Places
• Mountains to Museums: Spring Break Destinations Within Utah
• Set Your Destination for Utah Public Lands

About Map Monday from GIS Services:

Throughout the semester, GIS Services has released bi-weekly maps on a variety of topics, demonstrating ideas and uses for incorporating geospatial technology into research and projects you are developing. To view our collection of maps, projects, or to learn more about the geospatial services offered through the J. Willard Marriott Library, please visit the GIS Services website @ www.lib.utah.edu/services/geospatial

Happy Mapping!

Justin Sorensen | GIS Specialist
Creativity & Innovation Services / GIS Services
justin.sorensen@utah.edu