Geospatial Analysis of Ski Resorts in Central Europe: Evaluating the Attractiveness of an Area Based on Data and GIT

Abstract

Territory attractiveness assessment uses two basic types of input data. Statistical data are used in studies withadministrative or statistical units (e.g., states, municipalities or NUTS areas). Studies in territorial units with no fixedadministrative boundaries often use socio-economic geography techniques such as field research, questionnaires orinterviews to obtain data. Spatial data and geoinformation technology (GIT) are neglected in most data-drivenassessments of the attractiveness of an area even though they are respected, updated and rich sources of informationand widely used tools. This study aims to demonstrate the importance and benefits of incorporating spatial data andGIT into the data-driven territory attractiveness assessment process. The described research focuses on complementingthe data-driven territory attractiveness assessment methodology with aspects related to spatial data, spatial datamining and GIT. The implications of integrating spatial data and GIT into the process of area attractiveness assessmentare illustrated through a use case that deals with the assessment of ski resorts on the border of Austria, Germany andthe Czech Republic from the perspective of families with children.