EUREKA PROJECT > 2584 ULIXES
- SUMMARY
- OUTLINE
- PARTICIPANTS
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CROATIA
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CROATIA
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SWITZERLAND
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CROATIAINTELLIGENT TOURIST ORGANISATION
THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP AN ADVANCED INTEGRATED TOURIST RECOMMENDATION/TOURIST INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM. ULIXES IS A KNOWLEDGE ORGANISATION BASED ON INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, MULTIMEDIA, WEB AND MOBILE PHONE TECHNOLOGY.
Status > FINISHED - 14-Apr-2008 Technological Area Market Area Start Date > 31-May-2000 Duration > 54 Months Participating countries > CROATIA, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND | Main contactUNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB/FACULTY OF ORGANISATION AND INFORMATICS
PROF. DR. SC. BOZIDAR KLICEK > PROFESSOR Organisation type > University |
Project Description
In few other industries are the generation, gathering, processing, application and communication of information as important for day-to-day operation as they are for the travel and tourism industry. The importance of the ULIXES project for the EU has already been identified by EUREKA (in the MULTIMEDIA and EUROTOURISM umbrella projects) and in the Fifth Framework Programme (Quality of Life and management of living resources - Quality of Life, and User-friendly Information Society IST). This project also addresses major issues identified by the WORLD TOURIST ORGANISATION Global Forecasting Study (Tourism: 2020 Vision), namely globalization, localisation, electronic technology, fast track travel, polarisation of tourist tastes, destination as fashion accessory, product development and marketing that should be mirror images of each other, etc. Additionally the Artificial Intelligence community has also identified the technology of second generation intelligent systems that this project has to reach. Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global economy. Trends are predicting that non-European countries will have higher rate of growth. The solution for European countries could be a creation of high quality product, with many added values based on a deeper understanding of multi- cultural visitors. Tourism is also able to derive great benefits from Internet technologies Currently applications with simple functions like reservation, payment and information presentation dominate. More complex applications, that would contain advisory and planning functions, are far less common. This is one reason, among others, that customers behave more as 'lookers' than 'bookers', visiting tourists Web sites. Tourism is a very complex industry. Due to its complexity, inappropriate research methods and a lack of thorough surveys in the field, models that would be extensive and precise enough have not been developed to date. Nevertheless, our recent research undertaken in this direction has showed that there are many possibilities of improving the degree of tourist satisfaction. Intelligent models of tourists' satisfaction have been created with a mean error of 6%. It has been shown that tourists often do not choose their destination wisely, and it is possible to improve the degree of satisfaction for 90% of Croatian tourists in a range from 25% to 160% by giving them a recommendation about more suitable destinations and hotels according to their profiles. A USA company called SKI EUROPE that first introduced a simple recommendation system on Internet recorded in January 2001 a 70% increase in the lead conversion rate compared with the previous period. Research is focused on the personalization of tourist product, for which developing new theories and practical knowledge on both quality management of tourist products and resulting customer satisfaction is indispensable. Whereas tourists need a more reliable way of choosing and using services, the tourist industry needs a more efficient way of creating tourist products and satisfying clients' needs. The results of our previous research have demonstrated that by combining several information technologies, Artificial Intelligence, global networks and multimedia these goals could be reached. The ULIXES project introduces a new concept for the tourist industry - intelligent organisations that upgrade the idea of the knowledge organisation with intelligent systems. This intelligent organisation is the integration of many virtual destinations (Web presentations of real tourist destinations). This project is focused upon developing the system that will upgrade and integrate many facets of existing tourists service providers: agencies, tourist boards, travellers and destinations. Moreover, this system is intended to cover all aspects of tourist consumption, before and during the destination visit. The System will assure consumer optimization choice will occur according to the customers' personal needs. ULIXES will connect tourist service providers with tourists with the aid of artificial intelligent models. These models have been created with the help of results of the survey of satisfaction with different tourists products. Similar tourists experience similar degrees of satisfaction, communicate and make decisions in a similar way. This fundamental premise enables mechanization of the described process with the aid of information technology. It is possible to obtain high-grade knowledge on tourist satisfaction through surveys. Their experience can be subsequently incorporated in intelligent models. Tourists' experience is distributed to other potential customers. That is a very convenient way of predicting their degree of satisfaction with the product. ULIXES has been communicating with users in many ways: through Web technology, with the help of local DVD reach multimedia contents added to the Web-based services and contents and also mobile phone services. Having delivered their profile the tourists will then be provided with assistance during all the steps of product consumption. The tourist could use these services of ULIXES in tourist agencies, at home, or during the vacation. The project stresses the importance of obtaining a virtual experience with the destination, so the process of choice of a product will be incremental. It is envisaged that the presentation will take the form of the richest multimedia ad hoc versions as an interface between the system and the user. Knowledge on tourist satisfaction can be used for product adaptation and optimisation to suit the tourist (destination management, government strategy). Instead of creating uniform products suitable for only a few tourist profiles, it is possible to consider the interaction of many tourist profiles with many personalized products. The ULIXES project will provide methods and tools for comprehensive systems surveys of tourist consumption with innovative ways to incorporate this in tourist management. Intelligent models will be created and used as models in group decision supported processes for the purpose of destination management and government strategy development. Additional application of technology will be obtained with the help of innovative systems (Web-based Intelligent Multimedia Mass-Group Decision Support Systems) that enable mass group of consumers and the local population to be involved in the process of the creation of tourist products, for example, destination management. Keywords: intelligent systems, e-commerce, tourism.
Technological Development Envisaged
The principal aims include: * creating a strong theoretical base by applying advanced information technologies and verifying practical solutions for significant improvement of tourist degree of satisfaction by supplying additional value - a reliable system for optimal destination choice; * expanding the application in the improved destination and national tourism adaptation aimed at enhancing the tourist degree of satisfaction with the product; * obtaining knowledge on organising virtual destinations through knowledge bases (intelligent organisations) for optimising their effect. 1. Researchers in tourist marketing have stated that there is a desperate need to create consistent theoretically based processes of attributing tourist and tourist products and their components for the purpose of understanding tourist satisfaction. Additional contributions will be in the application of different AI techniques and methods (data mining, knowledge discovery in databases, prototype development of intelligent systems). 2. To create quality models about ways of supporting decision processes (recommendation) during destination choice. Existing systems have not included recommendations. One existing system called Triplehop recently incorporated only simple (although efficient) algorithm for overall vacation choice. ULIXES will have a more comprehensive system with recommendation ability not only for overall vacation but also for all components of tourist consumption. The process will be more precise with additional refinements and with an ability of obtaining virtual experience - a reliable way that tourist will know 'what he is buying'. Virtual experience will be created through the personalized multimedia presentation, ad hoc created in real-time according to the communication context and profile of the user. 3. Integration of different technology to obtain interface for the user, with call centres, mobile phone technology, and intelligent multimedia personalized presentation systems (integration of Web and DVD technology). 4. Application of different AI models of tourist satisfaction in the destination management and strategy development at different levels ensuring an evaluation of the systems. The final product is an advanced computer program, advanced multimedia web-oriented application adaptable to create different virtual intelligent destination organisations by applying Artificial Intelligence technology, which comprises: 1. 'Ulysses' technique for tracking, analysis and creation of intelligent models of decision-processes supported by web, multimedia and AI technologies. 2. Using and development of our own innovative multimedia and classic polling techniques. 3. SCMM method (Small Changes Management Method), that will integrate AI techniques (data mining, genetic algorithms) and Group Decision Support Systems for the purpose of destination management solving problems and strategy development. The method and the product will be innovative. 4. Development of a methodology CISDM (Complex Intelligent Systems Development Methodology), which could be described as an very innovative fraction of Knowledge-based system development methodology (KADS). 5. Application of customer experience and knowledge acquisition techniques (forums, chats, polling, Web group decision support systems) and highly innovative product 'Forum Virtualis' that could be described as Intelligent Multimedia Mass-Group Decision Support. 'Forum Virtualis' improves citizens' participation in problem solving at a local community level. A system for customers' participation in the product improvement process will be created by adaptation of 'Forum Virtualis'. 6. Simulation techniques. 7. Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD), data mining and knowledge presentation techniques in AI. Existing tourist recommendation systems are generally based either on case-based reasoning (CBR) systems or on combinations of content filtering, collaborative filtering and click stream analysis (e.g. Triplehop TripMatcher or LikeMinds WebSell 2.1). With both approaches, customer knowledge is sourced by the user¿s expressed (e.g. by some few keywords) or by learnt preferences (e.g. update of user model based on system-user interaction). This means that existing approaches have every limited way of knowledge representation and management. Our approach is mainly based on fulfilling the demands of second generation intelligent systems (context reusable building blocks, re-usable knowledge, high value component functions, composite architecture for multi-task systems, architecture for semantic interoperability, and a small number of domains, which should be addressed systematically). Other systems have simple old fashion approaches with already identified disadvantages in artificial intelligence. The ULIXES system is oriented to giving the most reliable recommendations, and this performance will always be checking and updating with new information. The system offers a highly sophisticated, intelligent multimedia personalization system and recommendations not only for tourist packages but also for all tourist products and services. There is currently no system that connects the recommendation function with tourist services support. ULIXES is highly focused to the benefits of the system, involving highly innovative concepts for a customised mass marketing: ability of customers to be involved in the creation and improvement of the tourist products. Note under Relationship to other EU Programmes: The ULIXES project is under the EUREKA umbrella EUROTOURISM and is suitable for the MULTIMEDIA umbrella. ULIXES could also be suitable for financial support through the Fifth Framework Programme (Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources - Quality of Life and User-Friendly Information Society - IST).
Main contactUNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB/FACULTY OF ECONOMICS
PROFESSOR BORIS VUKONIC > VICE DEAN Organisation type > University |
Contribution to project
* Consultancy of tourist behaviour models * Destination management, tourist companies, strategy development for Croatian tourism * Verification of models.
Expertise
Expertise: The activities of the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb include teaching and scientific research in the fields of business economics and economics. To perform these activities, the Faculty is divided into scientific teaching, teaching and non-teaching units. The scientific teaching units are constituted as departments, namely: * Economic Theory, Sociology and Demography, * Macroeconomics and Economic Policy, * Economics of Enterprise, * Organisation and Management, * Marketing, * Computer Science, * Accounting, * Finances, * Trade and Tourism, * Mathematics, and * Statistics. The Faculty's teaching units are the Centre for Business Languages and Centre for Physical Education. The Faculty of Economics organises undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies. Undergraduate studies comprise two fields: Business Economics and Economics. 98% of the student body are enrolled in the Business Economics. This field includes the following options: Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Organisation and Management, Business Computer Science, Trade and Tourism. 2% of the student body are enrolled on the Economics field, specialising in Macroeconomics. Scientific graduate studies cover two basic fields, Economics and Business Economics. The field of Economics is covered by four concentrations: * Economics of International Trade, * Economic Development Policy, * The Role of International Tourist Trade in the National Economy, and * Operational Research. The field of Business Economics is covered by seven concentrations: * Organisation and Management, * Accounting, * Auditing and Finance, * Theory and Policy of Marketing, * Foreign Trade, * Finance, * Computer Management, and * the International MBA. Contribution: * Monitoring of research tasks * Verification of the applicability of models for tourism Conversion of models for further markets.
Main contactSYS D.O.O.
MR. EMILIJO ZUBRINIC > DIRECTOR Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
Will adapt the ULIXES and Cro4U interfaces, do research into ULIXES' needs in real conditions on the system Cro4U, convert the data and models from Cro4U and ULIXES and develop working prototypes.
Expertise
Expertise: they already have a decade of experience in information systems development. SYS's primary orientation is information engineering with the accent on networking. Its activities comprise: * offering top-class hardware * developing complete networking solutions * building, deploying and managing applications for business solutions * providing support, education and consultancy. They advise users in decision-making regarding the choice of information system best suited to their particular requirements. There is the variety of world leading IT companies they represent on the Croatian market (IBM, NOVELL, APC, MICROTEST, CISCO and LOTUS). Contribution: SYS has developed system Cro4U, a Web portal for Croatian tourism. Cro4U connects tourist service providers with tourists. The ULIXES project is intended to be an upper layer of the Cro4U, giving the tourists recommendation service in all phases of tourist product consumption. This function is based on the extensive survey provided by system Cro4U. Intelligent models of tourist behaviour will also be used to management levels. SYS is in front of company called SOLUTION ALLIANCE, consisted from MICROSOFT CROATIA, COMPAQ, CISCO and KPMG. SYS is contributing to the project with: - technology consulting and deployment of equipment for research (software and hardware) - evaluation of ULIXES results and conversion to a form acceptable to the market.
Main contactUNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB/FACULTY OF ORGANISATION AND INFORMATICS
PROF. DR. SC. BOZIDAR KLICEK > PROFESSOR Organisation type > University |
Contribution to project
Research coordination and leadership, definition and negotiation of tasks, definition, development, experimentation and verification of methods, techniques and algorithms.
Expertise
Expertise: The Faculty of Organization and Informatics is the most influential higher education institution that is involved in Business Information Technology in CROATIA. It has a long tradition and very good results. Its activities are: graduate and post-graduate education (Ms. and Ph.D. degrees), R & D and consultancy and commercial projects provision. Its research activities include: intelligent systems, complex systems, strategic approaches to the development of information systems, knowledge bases and security of information systems. Application of artificial technology methods for research problem areas, development and testing of advanced information systems - Integration of different information technologies, with the emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, multimedia and WWW Research projects 'Decision Support Systems for Environment Protection against Chemical Accidents' and 'Intelligent decision support systems for management of complex systems'. Recent 'Intelligent decision support systems for management of complex systems' project has obtained significant and comprehensive results in the area of application of advanced information technology, especially intelligent systems, in the area of tourism. Additional results are expected from the fusion with the projects of the application of Web technology to the local community governing, Forum Virtualis project that has been developed and Intelligent Multimedia Mass Group Decision Support Systems for involvement of a large group of people in the solving of common problems. The main advantage of the project are highly talented young people that are experienced in world recognized projects and are involved in ULIXES. Contribution: - models of tourist behaviour - interaction of tourist services - tourists quality and satisfaction - decision support models for tourists - models of information presentation through the intelligent multimedia personalization presentation system - communication models of ULIXES system with users (mobile phone, Internet, multimedia, mass media) - knowledge acquisition methods (survey, electronic survey, etc.) Development of experimental prototypes. Provision of pilot projects for: - destination management - tourist company management - strategy development - inclusion of tourists in the process of the creation of tourist products - analysis of data obtained from research and conversion into intelligent models - acquisition and conversion of different data types (facts, multimedia, etc.) Definition of the system architecture. Selection, development, adaptation and evaluation of program tools.
Main contactINSTITUTE FOR TOURISM
DR. SC. SANDA WEBER > HEAD OF DEPARTMENT Organisation type > Research Institute |
Contribution to project
Collaboration between the TOMAS research (CROATIA) and ULIXES, obtaining applicability/comparability of results. Definition of data structures describing tourists and their consumption (attribution of tourists and services).
Expertise
Expertise: This research and consulting company has an impressive track record in macro level planning, development and marketing services to the Croatian hospitality and tourism industry. The Institute encompasses several flexible strategic units focused on individual and/ or joint offering of meaningful, up-to date solutions aimed at increasing the profitability of the Croatian tourism sector on the national, regional and local level. Areas of the Institute's experience include: - market research and analysis; - strategic planning; - tourism product development; - analyses and defining of tourism related policies; - education; - information databases. The Institute has for a number of years successfully cooperated with a number of international institutions, such as the WORLD BANK, the WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION (WTO), the UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM (UNEP) and the UNITED NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (UNDP). The Institute currently employees a multidisciplinary team of near 20 experts in various fields affecting the tourism industry, ranging from economists, tourism and hospitality marketing specialists to geographers, an architect and a transportation specialist. The Institute's employees serve as active members in various international tourism-related organisations such as the AIEST (International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism) and the TRC (Tourism Research Centre). Contribution: * Definition of research tasks (acquisition of data on tourist behaviour). * Participation in data analysis/interpretation of results. * Participation in development of new research methods and ther adaptation to the tourism. * Improvement of new methods and techniques for the development of virtual destinations.
Main contactDT. WIRTSCHAFTSWISSENSCHAFTL. INST. F. FREMDENVERKEHR E.V.
AN DER UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN - BUERO BERLIN MR. THOMAS FEIL > PROJECT MANAGER Organisation type > Research Institute |
Contribution to project
Benchmarking, definition, classification and attribution of models of services, tourists, quality and satisfaction Definition of the research of tourist satisfaction and models, further development of models for the world market.
Expertise
Basic Research and Constant Observation of Market Guarantee Quality Advice: - Pure investigations - Market analysis - Applied research; - Intra-industrial studies; - Concepts for Information and reservation systems; - Transfer of knowledge. Theoretical Knowledge: - Applied Directly for planning and Implementation; - Development planning; - Marketing concepts; - Project studies - Individual assistance and advice.
Contribution to project
* Definition of models of services in tourism acceptable for the ULIXES project * Extension of models obtained from the research of Croatian tourism for other tourist markets (e.g. winter tourism).
Expertise
Expertise: one of the best known and most respected schools of business management for the hospitality industry in the world. It produces graduates for the international hospitality for over one century. Currently it has over 1400 full-time students, 80 faculty and 250 employees. The research activities of the School are grouped under the The LAUSANNE INSTITUTE FOR HOSPITALITY RESEARCH (LIHR), which is composed of five full-time researchers. The LIHR comprises the Centre of Excellence for the Hospitality Industry, which focuses on the development of the hotel and restaurant industry and Swiss tourism. In September 1999, the Centre was officially accredited by the governing body of the UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES OF WESTERN SWITZERLAND (HES-SO: HAUTE ECOLE SPECIALISEE DE SUISSE OCCIDENTALE). The mission of the Institute is to encourage, through the means of applied research, an exchange of knowledge and best practices within the hotel industry and its training schools. By creating links between professionals, teachers and researchers in the hotel sector, the Institute sees itself in the role of 'enabler', making it possible to anticipate new market demands and prepare companies to respond in the best way possible. The fields of specialization at the Centre of Excellence for the Hospitality Industry are as follows: * consolidation of the hotel market; * factors of competitivity; * the impact of innovation and technology on business management; * hotel environmental responsibility and sustainable development; * consumer behaviour related to the hospitality industry; * architecture and design. Contribution: * Provision of complementary research in SWITZERLAND * Definition of processes of management in the tourist industry and government with the aid of intelligent models of tourist behaviour * Extension of models of tourist behaviour * Definition/verification of models of virtual destination (elecronic presentation) for tourists.