آراء السياح في منطقة عسير تجاه استخدام الخرائط السياحية : دراسة استطلاعية في محافظتي أبها و النماص

الملخص EN

Tourists’ reliance on tourist maps for traveling planning and selection of holiday destination, as well as for navigation, is weil recognized.

Knowledge about the extent to which tourist maps are used, how are they used, the benefit gained from a map, and the level of confidence about their content is a very significant factor for map designers and producers alike.

Therefore, the current study aimed at exploring tourists’ opinions about tourist maps and their use, and the factors that may influence such use.

The study also investigated some of tourists’ characteristics and experiences that might have an influence on the tourists’ use of maps.

These include some aspects such as knowledge about the region, number of visits, and the time spent.

Moreover, research also discusses tourists experience in using tourist maps both during their previous and current traveling; the aim behind such use; and the factors that might have encouraged or discouraged map use.

In addition, the role that tourist maps may play in locating tourist sites and promoting tourism; and the use of tourist maps by Saudi tourists is also discussed.

Finally, the study comes up with list of research results and recommendations.

At the top list of results, comes the low use of maps for number of reasons.

Un-necessity for using tourist maps, unavailability, low perception of map importance, and the feeling of inability to use maps efficiently come as the main ones.

The study showed also that there is also low tendency by Saudi tourists towards using maps for traveling and recreational activities.