The UK’s Travel Technology Initiaitve is pushing ahead with plans to attempt to introduce a set of rules for geo-coding for the travel sector.
Executives at the organisation are keen to adopt an agreed set of standards throughout the hotel sector in order to ensure geographical information about properties is accurate and useful for consumers and third party websites.
The system would work by forcing the hotel industry to create a geo-code for each hotel which would then be verified before release to the wider world.
Unfortunately the TTI has a number of problems with this initiative. For example:
- It is a truly mammoth task to implement.
- It would need a global initiative – not just the UK – to be relevant.
- Who would fund such a project?
The TTI admits that it needs a big backer – or number of backers – to get the project off the ground. Furthermore, it hasn’t succeeded in drawing together international partners to produce what would clearly need to be a global project for the industry.
But the organisation is steadfast is its determination to implement a set of standards which, it says, will improve the reputation of hotels and tour operators with consumers who are increasingly frustrated that the location of a hotel on an online map is actually somewhat different to its exact location on the ground.
The classic example is when a website suggests a hotel is located 500 metres from the local beach, and duly puts a pin its online map, only for the customer to discover on arrival that the hotel is in fact far from the shore.
And this is where the problem lies, TTI officials admit.
Tour operators are somewhat reluctant to get involved in producing a set of standards for geo-coding as they are “protective”, as ITT member Andy Mays says darkly, of their current – if somewhat inaccurate – data.
“Maybe there isn’t actually a commercial need for this,” Mays suggests.
There are few if any technical challenges left in geographically describing “stuff” – how to talk about points, polygons, altitude, add labels, etc. are all well understood problems at this point. Likewise, standards for web encoding this information are plentiful (if not plethoric) – KML, various RDF semantic web vocabs, geo tags, microformats, and so forth.
What really seems to be the issue here is a truth in advertising problem – more of a social and legal problem than a technological undertaking.
In some ways Google Maps and other mapping websites have made this a moot point. They take the published hotel addresses, geocode them (create geographic coordinates), and put pins on their maps.
However, the challenge is getting this information to the consumer planning their travel. The vast number of travel information websites describe location information in text or single-use maps (only showing that property).
We have tried to solve the problem by creating a map-based (visual) travel directory. Where’s URL (www.wheresurl.com), which is U.S. only for now, uses the published addresses to put a pin our map exactly where the business is located. Our map is movable so you can see what’s nearby, and it’s great for road trips. You can also view different categories of places, like attractions, lodging, food and shopping, so not only do you know if the hotel is near the river, you also know what else is nearby.
I think location transparency is coming whether the businesses want it or not, and those that continue to fudge (i.e. lie) will see the results in their customer feedback.
I have to agree with David on this. Although I applaud the effort to create some standards are geo-coding, it seems to make more sense to recommend that hotels geo-locate themselves and leave it at that. Any hotel or tour operator that wants to be found on a map is going to have to geo-code at some point. How accurate their geo-code actually is can be left up to the hotel or operator. If the organization is truthful, then there won’t be problem. If the organization is falsely setting their geo-code, they will be ferreted out at some point and pay the negative brand levy that comes with false advertising.
This standard has nothing to do with geography and is all about creating a multi system unique id for each property that would transcend language, product description etc etc
Would mean that the mid layer distribution companies could aggregate and price compare much easier than currently.
e.g. would cut out some companies calling a property by one name via one distribution channel and another by a 2nd channel (so end up double listed on an aggregator who sources via multiple routes)
So no wonder hotels are not all for it – and nor are some of the tour operators (who actually, via contract, take responsibility for the hotel booking directly into their own allocations)
Then you get the whole discussion of copyright of the geocode… as these are maintained by Google / Microsoft ‘s mapping partners (not them) – so you can’t take a geocode off a Google map, store in a DB, then use on a Bing map (not without copyright issues)
Going to be a struggle this one.
Who wants standards?
As someone who spent many years promoting the adoption of information standards in the travel sector, both before and after the formation of the TTI, I wish it luck. But I suspect it’s hitting its head against a very hard and firm brick wall.
The issue isn’t whether or not standards add value, it’s whether or not anyone cares. Whilst standards have been supported and adopted in other industries, travel has a poor record. With the exception of Unicorn EDI (which was created before TTI), I can’t think of any TTI standard that has enjoyed widespread adoption.
This time TTI appears to promoting a verification and approval’s authority rather than a standard.
Question. Is the industry screaming out for this and who pays?
Sounds like a non-starter and I’m surprised it’s even been suggested.
Just to briefly touch on Alex’s comment – how to unique identify land is pretty well known to (I think!). My guess is that Country Code (+ State/Province/Other 2nd Level Administrative Level Code) + Lot Number/Parcel Number would work.
I’m not familiar with how land registries work in the UK, but this site langregistry.gov.uk seems to show codes (“Title Number”) like CS72510.
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Technologically, there’s two related-but-not-quite-the-same things going on in the Internet. One is Google’s Place Pages which has been mentioned often elsewhere; the other is Yahoo’s GeoPlanet.
Google Place Pages is almost certainly heuristically driven; I’m not sure about GeoPlanet. Both of these would greatly benefit from a way of officially uniquely identifying places.
From the perspective of a cross-media travel guide operating both on- and offline, geo-coding locations, including hotels, is becoming a more and more important issue. Following an agreed and shared set of quality standards, will make the whole endeavor more efficient, successful and transparent for everyone.
When moving from a website to a mobile device, we have to ensure that people not only find a hotel on a map online, but also in the real world, using geo-codes to stay on the right track, and ultimately reach the desired destination. Mobile devices bear great opportunities for travelers and guide publishers alike, but are also more demanding in terms of quality. The disappointment of not finding a beach close to the hotel as promised, can only be topped by not finding the hotel AT ALL.
Therefore, global–not just regional–standards and shared efforts will be needed and clearly beneficial to everyone involved, the guide book publisher, business owner,and travelers in general.
Philipp Haydn
tripwolf content chief
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