Survey on Optical Wireless Communications-Based Services Applied to the Tourism Industry: Potentials and Challenges

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Information Technology

Background:

• Traditional radio frequency and wired networks face limitations in meeting the evolving demands of the tourism industry.
• Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) present a novel alternative for data transmission in various tourism settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the diverse applications of OWC technologies within the tourism sector.
• To analyze the potential of OWC for enhancing traveler experiences, facility services, and smart destination management.

Main Methods:

• Investigated indoor and outdoor OWC applications, including Free-Space Optics (FSO), LiFi, Visible Light Communication (VLC), and Optical Camera Communications (OCC).
• Examined three primary use scenarios: Tourist Area Networks (TAN), tourist facilities, and Smart Tourist Destinations (STD).
• Considered different transmission speeds and receiver types (photodiodes, image sensors).

Main Results:

• OWC technologies can support high-speed data links for outdoor and indoor environments.
• Applications range from supporting Internet of Things (IoT) networks to enabling advanced location-based services.
• OWC can fulfill the demanding communication needs of travelers, establishments, and entire destinations.

Conclusions:

• OWC technologies are poised to revolutionize the tourism industry by providing robust and versatile communication solutions.
• These technologies can significantly improve tourist experiences, operational efficiency in facilities, and data collection for destination management.
• OWC facilitates context-aware services and feeds big data systems for analyzing tourist behavior.