The Role and Importance of Tourism Information System in Urban

INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN TOURISM PLANNINGS
Nowadays, information has an important place in the lives of people. Information can be described as all of the concepts, facts, and principles that human genius can reach (Ağar, 1974). The system is a combination of methods useful for getting results and a whole consisting of physical and conceptual elements dependent on one another, and sub-systems. The existence of a certain system is necessary to collect and process information. The systems set up for this purpose are named "information systems".

The information system includes a range of process flows extending to collecting, analyzing and submitting data from the observation stage (Figure 1). Information systems consist of input, process and output sections. The input section comprises data collecting, data preparation, and data input stages.

Storage, recall, classification and update processes identified in the processing section need to be performed on these data. By taking the advantage of the information system in the output section, recalling is used by questioning classification and enumeration operations or transferring into other information systems as data (Kalıpsız et al., 2006; Çuhadar, 2010). The main function of information systems is to ease and shorten decision-making process (İlhan, 1999; Yomralıoğlu, 2000).

The last developments in information and communication systems affect the works related to the preparation of touristic products within data gathering, processing and analyzing for touristic products and destinations. Moreover, it provides new opportunities for marketing, management and promotion area for establishments in the tourism sector and touristic destinations. As one of these systems, Computerized Reservation Systems (CRS), Global Distribution Systems (GDS), Destination Management Systems (DMS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the internet are the information system used in tourism activities nowadays (Yılmaz & Oncuer, 2002; Ahipaşaoğlu & Kaya,

2005).

As an information technology, Geographic Information Systems are a tool enabling spatial assessment. Developing the abilities of this tool and using it in different subjects vary according to the programming information required by the subject and data structure. Geographic Information Systems operate based on a three-layered structure (data stored in the database, spatially graphic object and the

program establishing relations between both of them). The difference of Geographic Information Systems from information systems is that it includes location information in addition to the attribute information of various objects of the system (Sağlam et al., 2004; Gülbay, 2007).

Figure 1. Process information systems (Lardbucket, 2016; Buzzle, 2016)

Geographic Information System is a software and hardware system developed to compile, store, manage, edit, change, analyze spatial information of various sizes in the world, develop models and present obtained data (Davis, 1996; Topay et al., 2003). It is possible to create all kinds of land-related information (land structure, slope, soil type, transportation, environment and natural resources

management) by utilizing computer technology with the help of GIS. While accessibility to demanded information gets easier with the polling system of GIS, demanded designs in relation to land are created with the help of a computer (Tiryakioğlu & Erdoğan, 2004). Thanks to GIS, information flow gets

faster, more prolific production and inventory management are ensured, work productivity increases, effective and correct analyses are performed, data updating gets easier, workforce increases and time loss is prevented. The basic functions of GIS are data processing, polling, spatial analyses (basic spatial

analysis, network analysis, geometric and statistical processes, numerical land/height models), scenario analyses and presentations (Düzgün, 2005).

Geographic Information Systems enabling especially polling by superposing maps one on top of another with the development of information technologies provide an opportunity for different sciences such as computer, geography, mathematics, statistics, engineering, planning, environmental science, landscape architecture and cartography to work together. GIS applications are used in the environmental and natural resource management, property and administrative management, public works, education and health management, municipal affairs, transportation planning, tourism, forest and agriculture, trade and industry, defense and safety (Yomralıoğlu, 2000; Erdoğan & Tiryakioğlu, 2004; Ahipaşaoğlu & Kaya, 2005; Töreyen et al., 2010). Computer-aided drawing, design and satellite image analysis systems like CAD contribute to the development of GIS. These systems aid in handling the present results of

information systems for the future use by supporting decision-making and developing landscape planning processes (Blaschke, 1997; Pietsch & Buhmann, 1999; Tecim, 2000; Arnold, Lipp, Pietsch & Schaal, 2005; Lang & Blaschke, 2007; Gontier, 2007; Pietsch, 2012). In order to understand the

importance of GIS in landscape design and planning, it is necessary to comprehend the design and planning process (Özyavuz, 2002). With polling and updating the necessary locational and unlocational information for planning by determining balance and order between resource users and resources in the studies related to landscape planning in GIS, it is enabled to make the healthiest and quick decisions, and the resource analysis and synthesis are performed (Yörüklü, 2009; Çelik, 2015).