Data Warehouse and Interactive Map for Promoting Cultural Heritage in Saudi Arabia Using GIS

With the urbanization of various regions, many historical sites may be misrepresented or totally neglected. As more people move to urban areas with time, heritage areas are being abandoned or ignored. The roads leading to such areas are less maintained, and they are not being adequately promoted. Over the years, the emergence and evolution of digital maps have played a significant role in tourist and cultural exploration and are important sources of information for tourists who are considering specific destinations. In this paper, the authors discuss the development and implementation of a geographic information system (GIS) in the tourism industry. They create an interactive map for tourist sites and suggest a means of retrieving tourist data. They select the Aseer region as a case study since it is rich with deep cultural heritage, comprising almost 4,000 heritage villages, and is considered to be one of the most important tourist destinations in the country. In this paper, the authors propose an initiative for the development and implementation of GIS in the tourism industry.