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GPS Loggers for visitor monitoring
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Intensity map
Intensity map
Image source: Muscolino © 2026 All rights reserved

Portable devices used to record visitor movement patterns, routes, speed, and stay times, providing spatially explicit data to better understand visitor flows and site use.

Key characteristics

Work step
Data collection
Data analysis
Tool purpose
Spatial Data
Properties
Classic
Professional
Keywords
HUMANITA
Visitor monitoring
Visitor tracking
GPS

Tool description

GPS loggers are deployed to selected visitors who carry the device during their visit. The device continuously records geographic coordinates at defined time intervals, generating detailed movement tracks. These data allow analysis of visitor routes, hotspots, stay times, and spatial behavior patterns. GPS-based monitoring is particularly useful in protected areas, parks, or sensitive landscapes where understanding visitor distribution is important for management and conservation planning. Data collection is typically anonymous and time-limited to specific monitoring periods.

Constraints

  • Participation is voluntary, which may result in limited or biased samples.
  • Data quality depends on satellite reception (reduced accuracy in dense forests, narrow valleys, caves, or urban canyons).
  • Devices require battery management and data retrieval.
  • Visitors may alter their behavior when carrying a tracking device.
  • Data protection and privacy regulations must be strictly followed.
  • GPS tracks do not explain motivation or perception without complementary survey data.

Requirements

  • Clear informed consent procedures and privacy compliance
  • Sufficient number of charged and configured GPS loggers
  • Defined recording intervals and standardized deployment protocols
  • System for data download, storage, and secure processing
  • Staff for visitor briefing, device distribution, and collection
  • Complementary data (e.g. visitor surveys) for behavioral interpretation is recommended
  • GIS system and competencies in geographical data analysis and interpretation or collaboration with institution that can offer this service

Tool Impact

GPS loggers have no direct environmental impact, as they are carried by visitors and do not require fixed infrastructure in the field. The main consideration relates to ethical and data protection aspects rather than ecological disturbance.

Best Practices

  • Within the Interreg CE project HUMANITA, 69 GPS loggers were deployed in the Karawanken–Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark to analyze visitor movement patterns. After systematic data cleaning (removal of incomplete tracks, GPS errors, and outliers), the dataset was used to produce standardized visitor density and intensity maps.
    • The Density Map (heatmap of visitor counts) visualizes how frequently specific areas were used. The standardized scale from 0 (low use) to 100 (high use) allows clear identification of:
      • Main visitor routes and frequently used trails
      • Spatial concentration of visitor flows
      • Hotspots with particularly high traffic pressure
      • Low-use or undisturbed areas
      • Potential conflict zones between tourism and sensitive habitats
      • This map primarily answers the question: Where do visitors go?
    • The Intensity Map (stay-time analysis) provides additional information on how long visitors remain in specific locations. It is based on 30-meter grid cells and shows duration categories ranging from less than 2 minutes to 50–120 minutes. This allows identification of:
      • Areas where visitors only pass through briefly
      • Viewpoints, resting areas, or attractions with longer dwell times
      • Sites potentially exposed to prolonged disturbance
      • Locations where infrastructure (benches, signage, waste management) may be required
      • Areas where management interventions could reduce pressure
      • This map answers the question: Where do visitors stay, and for how long?
    Together, density and intensity maps provide complementary insights: Density highlights movement patterns and spatial distribution, while intensity reveals behavioral patterns and potential pressure points. When interpreted jointly, they support evidence-based visitor management, infrastructure planning, and conservation measures.

Helpful hints to use the tool proficiently

  • Provide a clear initial explanation of the purpose, duration, and data handling to participants.
  • Use incentives (e.g. raffle) to encourage voluntary participation.
  • Actively involve park staff or local organizations in device distribution and ensure they understand the tool’s benefits.
  • Standardize data cleaning procedures before analysis.
  • Document analysis workflows to ensure replicability and transparency.

Specification

Category Device / Key
Properties
Measurement device
Range
space
local
regional

Linked tools

Category Tool title and description
Study object
Study focus
Work step
Tool purpose
 Classic Professional Free to use Experimental
AI-based visitor counting from photo and video data

Use of AI-based image and video analysis software to automatically detect and count visitors from camera data, supporting continuous and non-intrusive monitoring of visitor numbers and flows in protected areas.
Automatic visitor counters

Automated sensor-based systems for quantifying visitor numbers and analyzing temporal and spatial visitation patterns in natural areas.
Camera traps for visitor monitoring

Passive recording of human presence along trails and access points using motion-triggered camera traps.
GPS device

A GPS is a small device that utilises satellite triangulation for navigation purposes. It can be a hand-held device or attached to an object in the field to gather spatial information.
Mobile phone network data for visitor monitoring

Use of anonymized and aggregated mobile network event data to estimate visitor numbers and origin areas for selected protected areas and surrounding regions.
Outdoor app data for visitor monitoring

Analysis of outdoor app data (.gpx and metadata) to understand spatial distribution of digital trails and estimated usage of trails.
Strava Metro

Strava Metro is a data service provided by Strava that uses aggregated and anonymized activity data (e.g. walking, running, cycling) from users of the Strava app to analyze movement patterns.

Gallery

Images

Density map
Image source: Muscolino © 2026 All rights reserved

Legend

Study objects

Microbiota
Humans
Animals
Vegetation, Funghi & Lichen
Habitats

Study focus

Anthropogenic factors and impacts
Biodiversity (Species populations and Community Composition)
Ecosystem State, Structure and Functioning

Work steps

Presentation
Data collection
Plot establishment
Data analysis
Data archiving

Tool categories

TBD
Device
Software
Manual / Guideline / Framework

Tool purposes

Spatial Data
Numeric and Alphanumeric Data
Audio Data
Genetic Data
Photo/Video Data
Non Data generative
Chemical Compound Data