Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Analyzing the Behavior of Tourists on the "Biruzovaya Katun"

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology for using UAVs to analyze the spatial behavior of tourists at the level of the tourist complex. The key area for testing the methodology is the territory of the special economic zone of the tourist and recreational type "Turquoise Katun", located in the low mountains of the Altai Territory. The collection of data on the movements of visitors was carried out in July-August 2022 using UAV surveys on weekends during four time intervals: from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on the key area of the tourist complex. The territory for the UAV survey was chosen taking into account the presence of attractors. As a result of photogrammetric processing of images, a digital elevation model and a series of orthophotomaps were built in the WGS-84 coordinate system corresponding to the given observation time intervals. On the basis of the collected spatial data, heatmaps of the density of tourist flows were constructed and their analysis was carried out, incl. comparison with attractors. The obtained spatial data are integrated into the GIS project, which greatly expands the possibilities for analysis. The advantages of using this technology are spatial referencing of images (each image has its own coordinates and time); high reliability (photogrammetric processing technology provides high accuracy of spatial processing results); efficiency of the entire cycle of work. An analysis of heatmaps showed that there is a positive trend in the number of tourists from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with the sharpest increase observed at lunchtime compared to noon (an increase in flow of 3.5). Three spots of tourist concentration were identified in the area of the artificial lake, which is determined by the landscape attractiveness of the western and eastern shores of the lake and the presence of a beach area for families with children in the northwestern part of the lake. In addition, an increased density of tourists is observed near the pools at camp sites with developed infrastructure, as well as in the area of souvenirs and rentals. It has been established that the weather in the low-mountainous part of Altai has a significant impact on the interest of tourists in attractors. In this regard, when developing the territory of the tourist complex, it is necessary to design attractors and possible tourist activities for different weather conditions, including the off-season and the winter period.

Acknowledgements
The work is supported by Russian Science Foundation in within the framework of the scientific project 22-27-00245 «Theoretical and methodological foundations for the design of tourist territories in the conditions of socio-economic systems of the foothill and mountainous territories of Altai».