From a conceptual point of view travelling is crossing the space from one location to another. Tourism mostly requires a travel to the desired destination and typically also includes moving inside a specific area. Therefore both tourism and travel are highly dependent on spatial phenomena which are often captured using EO.All kinds of travelling are highly dependent on weather conditions which can be observed with meteorological satellites. Also the current traffic conditions like congestion, road condition and natural hazards can be discovered with EO.
The types of tourism which are outside of buildings require sufficient weather forecast. Especially outdoor tourism at the coast or in mountain areas have a need for specific information about the current and the near future conditions of the natural environment. Examples are avalanche reports and forecasts for wind or wave heights of water bodies. Local tour organizers can utilise this information in order to better plan offers for tourists and also ensure overall safety during their stay.
Tourism and travelling are import economic factors. Consequently both the public and the private sector are interested in ensuring safe and convenient travel conditions and furthermore in creating an attractive environment for travellers and touristic visitors. This includes recognising environmental pollution, since this discourages tourist from visiting an area. Not only incoming, but also outgoing tourism is an important factor in local economies. Travel agencies, for example, are highly dependent on retrieving accurate information about foreign regions which are typically obtained with earth observation technology.
Of course tourism and travelling itself also can be observed from space, this is especially true for mass tourism and areas where traffic has increased a lot during the last time. Typical effects are the increase of settlement area and the additionally used space for roads, parking lots, airports and harbors. These changes to the earth surface can be quantified with the help of land cover change detection.In many cases local administrations and decion makers want to mitigate the negative consequences of mass tourism, the insights of the mentioned EO measurements provide a useful foundation for sustainable planning.