Tangible Tourism with the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) enables new ways for exploiting the synergy between the physical and the digital world and therefore promises a more direct and active interaction between tourists and local products and places. In this article we show how, by distributing sensors/actuators in the environment or attaching them to objects, one can sense, trace and respond to users’ actions onsite. Our research method moves from the analysis of specific scenarios (case studies) of tangible interaction. We first discuss important issues, which were identified in these scenarios, and are related to log analysis, system usability, and extended models for learning user preferences. Then, the lessons learned in these specific cases have informed the constructive design of a wider scope infrastructure, which is here described and motivated. We envisage the tight integration of localized IoT solutions into a comprehensive mobile information system for tourism.