Open Spatial Solutions has implemented a web-based mapping solution for the Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) that gives tourists the ability to access tourism operator locations on its website.

Open Spatial Solutions uses geo-coding in a networked environment to provide spatial solutions for a wide range of commercial applications. The company's offering is based on leading GIS platforms - Autodesk MapGuide, ESRI and MapInfo - and backed by South Africa's most comprehensive street centre line dataset.

Nic Chapman, Commercial Manager: Open Spatial Solutions, says new tourism legislation will require all Gauteng-based tourism operators - restaurants, accommodation establishments and conference centres - to register with the GTA. "To facilitate an efficient and user-friendly registration process, GTA required a solution where a tourism vendor could log general contact and product-related information via the GTA's website, but most important its geographic location via an online map - a first in South Africa."

He added that Open Spatial geo-coded Gauteng Tourism's registered user information by linking it to the relevant spatial information. "Combining the geocoded data with a fully intelligent electronic mapping database, Open Spatial provided GTA with a practical and versatile mapping solution that enhances its online services by adding a visual dimension."

As it benefits the tourism operator, to maintain the published information as up-to-date and comprehensively as possible, the system supplies a registration number and password, allowing the vendor to update his own records online, Chapman explains.

Chapman says the tourism operator establishes their geographic location on a map, through a user-friendly set of zoom-go-to functions. "In this way the GTA is able to provide its Internet users with a tourism-oriented portal to Gauteng, while at the same time collectively identifying all the industry players within the tourism body and enabling them to share and access resources more effectively.

"Furthermore the GTA is able to distribute this information provided nationally and internationally as part of its marketing strategy."

Open Spatial's highly detailed maps provide comprehensive location information, says Chapman.

Chapman explains further that the Autodesk MapGuide technology utilised, to build and interact with the live maps in a web-based environment allows only the specific part of the map that a user needs to be downloaded, as opposed to the entire map. "This means the requested information is provided speedily, adding further value to GTA's service offering.

"Open Spatial Solutions pleased with the successful implementation of Gauteng Tourism's spatial solution, especially since it enhances an Internet site that can be used fruitfully by the local and international public," Chapman concludes.

Open Spatial Solutions, (011) 783 1834

nchapman@openspatial.co.za