JP7657642B2 - Tourist route generation device and tour route proposal system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tourist route generation device, a tourist route proposal system, and a tourist route generation method.

Conventionally, a tourist route proposal device that proposes a tourist route is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The tourist route proposal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an acquisition unit that acquires tourist location information and tourist attribute information, an extraction unit that compares the tourist attribute information with tourist destination attribute information and extracts candidate destinations suitable for the tourist, a creation unit that creates candidate tourist routes based on the tourist location information and the candidate destinations, and an output unit that outputs the candidate tourist routes to the tourist. The tourist destination attribute information is information in which tourist destination information is associated with attribute information of visitors who have visited the tourist destination.

JP 2019-175378 A

For example, even at the same tourist spot, the impression visitors get will change greatly depending on the time of day they visit. For example, if a tourist spot has a beautiful night view, suggesting that they visit at night will likely increase the tourists' satisfaction. Also, one of the pleasures of sightseeing is buying souvenirs, so suggesting places where they can buy popular souvenirs will likely increase the tourists' satisfaction.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a technology that can make tourism suggestions that will satisfy travelers.

To achieve the above object, the tourist route generation device of the present invention is a tourist route generation device that generates a tourist route according to the areas visited by a traveler, and includes a traveler information acquisition unit that acquires traveler information, which is information about the traveler, a tourist information acquisition unit that acquires tourist information about the area, and a route generation unit that generates the tourist route including places to be visited in the area based on the traveler information and the tourist information, and the route generation unit is configured to generate the tourist route by setting the visiting time of at least one of the places to be visited to a time period based on the tourist information (first configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of the first configuration described above, it is preferable that the traveler information acquisition unit adds additional information derived based on the acquired traveler information to the traveler information, and the traveler information used by the route generation unit includes the additional information (second configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of the first or second configuration, it is preferable that the tourist information acquisition unit manages the acquired tourist information as a tourist information database, and the tourist information used by the route generation unit is information contained in the tourist information database (third configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of the third configuration, it is preferable that the tourist information database includes at least one of information from a social networking service related to tourism in the region and evaluation information of people who have visited the region in the past (fourth configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of the fourth configuration, it is preferable that the visiting time of the places to be visited is set to a time period based on information from the social networking service (fifth configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of any of the third to fifth configurations above, it is preferable that the tourist information database has the tourist information so that country-specific information related to the tourist information can be extracted (sixth configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of any of the third to sixth configurations above, it is preferable that the tourist information database is configured to have the tourist information so that information related to the tourist information by type of traveler can be extracted (seventh configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of any of the third to seventh configurations above, it is preferable that the tourist information acquisition unit is configured to update the tourist information database based on the traveler's evaluation results (eighth configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of any of the first to eighth configurations above, it is preferable that the tourist information includes information on souvenirs in the area, and the route generation unit is configured to include places to purchase the souvenirs in the tourist route (ninth configuration).

In the tourist route generation device of any of the first to ninth configurations above, the route generation unit may be configured (tenth configuration) to generate the tourist route by adjusting the visiting times of the similar types of travelers to the places to be visited when it is necessary to generate the tourist route for multiple similar types of travelers at the same time.

It is preferable that the tourist route generation device of any of the first to tenth configurations above is further configured (eleventh configuration) to include a change reception unit that receives a change request from the traveler regarding the generated tourist route.

To achieve the above object, the tourist route proposal system of the present invention is configured (12th configuration) to include a tourist route generation device of the above configuration and a terminal device that is capable of communicating with the tourist route generation device and is provided so as to be available to the traveler.

To achieve the above object, the tourist route generation method of the present invention is a method for generating a tourist route according to the areas visited by a traveler using a device, and includes a traveler information acquisition process for acquiring traveler information, which is information about the traveler, a tourist information acquisition process for acquiring tourist information about the area, and a route generation process for generating the tourist route including places to be visited in the area based on the traveler information and the tourist information, and the route generation process is configured to generate the tourist route by setting the visiting time of at least one of the places to be visited to a time period based on the tourist information (13th configuration).

The present invention makes it possible to make tourism proposals that satisfy travelers.

A diagram showing the schematic configuration of a sightseeing route proposal system Block diagram showing the configuration of a sightseeing route generation device A schematic diagram showing the structure of a tourist information database Flowchart showing a sightseeing suggestion process using a sightseeing route generation device A flowchart showing an example of a route generation process for generating a sightseeing route. A diagram showing the database structure used in route generation processing and an example of its use. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen display when an icon showing a place to buy souvenirs is touched on a screen showing a sightseeing route; A flowchart showing a modified example of a route generation process for generating a sightseeing route

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

＜1. Tourist route suggestion system＞
1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a tourist route proposal system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the tourist route proposal system 100 includes a tourist route generation device 1 and a terminal device 2.

The tourist route generation device 1 is a device that generates a tourist route according to the areas that a traveler will visit. In this embodiment, the tourist route generation device 1 generates and proposes a tourist route suitable for each traveler. The tourist route generation device 1 is a server device. The tourist route generation device 1 may be composed of one server device, but may also be composed of multiple server devices. The tourist route generation device 1 may be, for example, a cloud server. The tourist route generation device 1 may be composed of multiple cloud servers.

In this embodiment, the area visited by the traveler is a place visited by the traveler for sightseeing, and has a geographical extent. The area visited by the traveler is, for example, a geographical range that has a spread centered on a train station or bus stop visited by the traveler for sightseeing, an accommodation facility where the traveler stays, or a rental car office where the traveler rents a car. For example, the area visited by the traveler may be a specific prefecture, or a specific region including multiple prefectures.

The tourist route generation device 1 is connected to a communication network 3. The communication network 3 includes at least one of an Internet line, a telephone line, a LAN (Local Area Network), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), for example. In this embodiment, the tourist route generation device 1 can obtain information published on the Internet using the communication network 3. That is, in this embodiment, the communication network 3 includes an Internet line. The tourist route generation device 1 will be described in detail later.

The terminal device 2 is capable of communicating with the tourist route generation device 1 and is provided so as to be available to travelers. In detail, the terminal device 2 is connected to a communication network 3. The tourist route generation device 1 and the terminal device 2 are connected via the communication network 3 and are capable of communicating with each other. In FIG. 1, the number of terminal devices 2 connected to the tourist route generation device 1 is one, but there may be more than one. The terminal device 2 may be a stationary terminal device or a portable terminal device. The terminal device 2 may be, for example, a personal computer, an in-vehicle device such as a navigation device, a smartphone, or a tablet.

As described below, the tourist route generation device 1 of this embodiment can generate a tourist route suitable for each traveler visiting each region. Therefore, the tourist route proposal system of this embodiment can propose a tourist route that gives each traveler a sense of satisfaction.

2. Tourist route generation device
(2-1. Configuration of the Tourist Route Generation Device)
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a tourist route generation device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that Fig. 2 shows only components necessary for explaining the features of the embodiment, and general components are omitted. As shown in Fig. 2, the tourist route generation device 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

The control unit 11 is a controller that performs overall control of the entire tourist route generation device 1. The control unit 11 is configured to include, for example, an integrated circuit for calculations, a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The integrated circuit for calculations may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit).

The storage unit 12 includes a non-volatile storage medium. The storage unit 12 includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory that is detachable from the tourist route generation device 1, an optical disk drive, or a memory card. The storage unit 12 stores various programs and various data. In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 includes a traveler information database 121 and a tourist information database 122. The traveler information database 121 and the tourist information database 122 will be described later.

The communication unit 13 is connected to the communication network 3 via a wired or wireless connection, and communicates with the terminal device 2 via the communication network 3.

The traveler information acquisition unit 111, tourist information acquisition unit 112, route generation unit 113, output unit 114, and change acceptance unit 115 shown in FIG. 2 are functions of the control unit 11 that are realized by the control unit 11's integrated circuit for calculations executing calculation processing according to a computer program. In other words, the tourist route generation device 1 includes the traveler information acquisition unit 111, tourist information acquisition unit 112, route generation unit 113, output unit 114, and change acceptance unit 115.

At least one of the traveler information acquisition unit 111, tourist information acquisition unit 112, route generation unit 113, output unit 114, and change acceptance unit 115 of the control unit 11 may be configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The traveler information acquisition unit 111, tourist information acquisition unit 112, route generation unit 113, output unit 114, and change acceptance unit 115 are conceptual components. The function executed by one component may be distributed to multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. The functions of each of the functional units 111 to 115 may be distributed to multiple servers, and multiple cloud servers may work together to perform the functions of the tourist route generation device 1. The functions of each of the functional units 111 to 115 may be realized by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12.

The traveler information acquisition unit 111 acquires traveler information, which is information about a traveler. In detail, the traveler information acquisition unit 111 acquires the traveler information from the terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 may be the traveler's own terminal device or a terminal device rented by the traveler. The terminal device 2 rented by the traveler may include, for example, a navigation device installed in a rental car. The terminal device 2 may also be a terminal device owned by a business operator such as a travel agency or rental car company that obtains traveler information from the traveler and handles procedures on their behalf.

The traveler information may include, for example, the traveler's profile and travel history. The traveler information preferably includes at least the traveler's profile. The traveler's profile preferably includes, for example, the traveler's nationality, gender, and age. The travel history may include, for example, the traveler's past visited places and evaluations of the visited places. The past travel history may also include the traveler's souvenir purchase history and evaluations of the purchased souvenirs. The evaluations of the visited places and souvenirs may be, for example, a five-point evaluation using numbers or stars, or a written text of the evaluation contents. The travel history may be, for example, information directly input by the traveler to the terminal device 2. However, the travel route history may be information obtained from a database held by a business operator such as a travel agency or a rental car company based on the traveler's past input information. In addition, the traveler information may include information on the traveler's companions, the purpose of the trip, the stay time at the visited places, travel wishes, etc.

In a preferred embodiment, the traveler information acquisition unit 111 adds additional information derived based on the acquired traveler information to the traveler information. In this embodiment, the additional information is a tag that is estimated and assigned from the profile and travel history included in the traveler information. Examples of tag items include age group, travel purpose, and impression. A specific example of an age group tag is "20s to 30s". A specific example of a travel purpose tag is "meals" and "activities". A specific example of an impression tag is "elegant", "luxury", "inexpensive", "gourmet", "scenery", "moving", and "exciting". The traveler information acquisition unit 111 manages the information obtained by adding tags to the acquired traveler information as a traveler information database 121. That is, a plurality of pieces of traveler information are stored in the storage unit 12.

The tourist information acquisition unit 112 acquires tourist information of the area visited by the traveler. For example, the tourist information acquisition unit 112 acquires tourist information from outside via the communication network 3. For example, the tourist information acquisition unit 112 acquires tourist information published on the Internet. The tourist information acquisition unit 112 may also acquire tourist information input by an information inputter using an input unit (not shown) possessed by the tourist route generation device 1. The tourist information includes, for example, information on tourist spots such as scenic spots, historical sites, temples, shrines, and amusement parks in the area visited by the traveler, local gourmet information, specialty product information, souvenir information, etc.

In this embodiment, the tourist information acquisition unit 112 manages the acquired tourist information as a tourist information database 122. That is, various tourist information is stored in the memory unit 12 in an easy-to-use state. For example, the tourist information acquisition unit 112 periodically acquires tourist information published on the Internet and manages it as a tourist information database 122. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the tourist information database 122 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tourist information database 122 manages tourist information by region. This allows the traveler to easily obtain tourist information for each region that corresponds to the region he or she visits. In addition, the data for each region in the tourist information database 122 is managed separately by country. For example, the tourist information database 122 manages tourist information related to region α (e.g., "Kyoto Prefecture") separately for country A (e.g., "United States") and country B (e.g., "China"), and manages tourist information related to region β (e.g., "Nara Prefecture") separately for country A (e.g., "United States") and country B (e.g., "China"). In other words, the tourist information database 122 has tourist information that allows the extraction of information suitable for each country related to the tourist information (the country of the person to whom the information is provided; hereinafter, referred to as the suitable information destination country). By configuring in this way, for example, it is possible to propose a tourist route that takes into account the circumstances of the country in which the traveler lives, thereby increasing the satisfaction of the traveler.

In this embodiment, tourist information is classified by preferred information destination country, so that tourist information related to regions visited by travelers can be extracted for each preferred information destination country, but this is merely an example. For example, tourist information may be extracted for each preferred information destination country by adding a tag to each piece of tourist information indicating which country the information is suitable for. Also, for example, if a US tourist wants to experience tourism suitable for Chinese tourists, a configuration may be used in which Chinese tourist information suitable for Chinese tourists is used for US tourists. To realize such use, a configuration may be adopted in which the traveler can manually select the preferred information destination country.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tourist information classified by preferred information destination country includes general information. General information is, for example, tourist spot information, gourmet information, souvenir information, specialty product information, etc. that is generally published as information on the relevant region in tourist guide magazines etc. of the relevant country. For example, general information on country A in region α is tourist spot information, gourmet information, souvenir information, specialty product information, etc. of region α that is generally published in tourist guide magazines etc. of country A.

In this embodiment, in addition to general information, a preferred form includes unique information that is more likely than general information to reflect trends in tourism in the traveler's country of origin, and evaluation information from travelers who have visited in the past. For example, tourism information for country A in region α preferably includes unique information that is more likely to reflect trends in country A in tourism in region α, and evaluation information from travelers who have visited region α in country A in the past.

The unique information for each country can be obtained, for example, from social networking service (SNS) information, top search keyword information published on the Internet, or media information such as television and radio. In other words, it is preferable that the unique information includes at least one of the following: SNS information, top search keyword information, and media information.

Note that SNS refers to, for example, a service that supports connections between people on the Internet. Specific examples of SNS include Facebook (registered trademark), Twitter (registered trademark), Instagram (registered trademark), and Line (registered trademark). Furthermore, media information may be, for example, information obtained through text broadcasting published on the Internet.

The evaluation information of travelers who have visited in the past may be, for example, feedback information from questionnaires collected from travelers, or information on the satisfaction of travelers obtained by analyzing information on social media, etc. The evaluation information of travelers who have visited in the past may be, for example, a five-point rating using numbers or the number of stars, or a written description of the evaluation content, etc.

In addition, the tourist information database 122 preferably has tourist information so that tourist information can be extracted for each type of tourist. The type of tourist may be expressed, for example, by the same information as the tag added to the tourist information. For example, the type of tourist may be classified according to the age, impression, purpose of the trip, etc. of the tourist. For example, tags indicating the type of tourist are often added to SNS information, and when the tourist information database 122 contains tourist information obtained from SNS information, information for each type of tourist can be extracted. In addition, for example, when a tourist questionnaire is collected from a tourist, if the tourist information is linked to the type of tourist and stored in the tourist information database 122, information for each type of tourist can be extracted from the tourist information database 122. In this way, when the tourist information database 122 is configured to have tourist information for each type of tourist so that it can be extracted, a tourist route can be proposed taking into account the satisfaction of a similar type of tourist, and the satisfaction of the tourist can be increased.

As can be seen from the above explanation, it is preferable that the tourist information database 122 contains at least one of SNS information related to tourism in the area visited by the traveler and evaluation information of people who have visited the area in the past. This can increase the possibility of suggesting a tourist route that matches the traveler's preferences.

Returning to FIG. 2, the route generation unit 113 generates a tourist route including places to visit suitable for the traveler in the area to be visited by the traveler based on the traveler information and tourist information. The route generation unit 113 may generate a single or multiple tourist routes. When multiple tourist routes are generated, multiple tourist routes can be proposed to the traveler. The tourist route to be generated may include a single or multiple places to visit suitable for the traveler. The tourist route may be, for example, a route for sightseeing using a rental car. As another example, the tourist route may be a route for sightseeing on foot. As another example, the tourist route may be a route for sightseeing using both travel by vehicle and travel on foot.

When generating a tourist route, road congestion may be taken into account in addition to traveler information and tourist information. Road congestion may be determined, for example, using information from a camera that captures road conditions, such as a street camera. Road congestion may be, for example, the number of cars (traffic jams) or the number of people. A congested state refers to, for example, a state in which the number of cars or people on the road being photographed exceeds a predetermined number.

A place suitable for a traveler may be, for example, a place that matches the traveler's preferences or a place that can excite or impress the traveler. In some cases, a place suitable for a traveler may be a place that the traveler has previously requested. In detail, a place to visit may be, for example, a tourist spot or a souvenir shop.

In this embodiment, the route generation unit 113 generates a tourist route including visiting places suitable for the tourist based on the traveler information database 121 and the tourist information database 122. That is, the traveler information used by the route generation unit 113 includes additional information (tags in this embodiment). The tourist information used by the route generation unit 113 is information included in the tourist information database 122. This makes it possible to propose a tourist route suitable for the tourist using a large amount of accumulated information, thereby increasing the tourist's satisfaction. For example, a tag included in the traveler information can be associated with a tag included in the tourist information database 122 to generate a tourist route suitable for the tourist, thereby increasing the tourist's satisfaction. In addition, for example, a tourist route can be generated using tourist information corresponding to the tourist's nationality information, thereby increasing the tourist's satisfaction.

When using SNS information as tourist information, if the SNS used by the traveler can be known from the traveler information database 121 or the like, the route generating unit 113 may prioritize the information on the SNS used by the traveler to extract places to visit suitable for the traveler. When using SNS information as tourist information, the route generating unit 113 preferably uses SNS information posted close to the travel date of the traveler to extract places to visit suitable for the traveler. When using Internet search keyword rankings as tourist information, the route generating unit 113 preferably uses the latest information to extract places to visit suitable for the traveler. When using media information such as television as tourist information, the route generating unit 113 preferably uses information broadcasted close to the travel date of the traveler to extract places to visit suitable for the traveler.

In this embodiment, the tourist information also includes souvenir information for the area visited by the visitor. The souvenir information includes, for example, the type of souvenir and store information where the souvenir can be purchased. However, the souvenir information may also include, for example, the price, customer demographic, impression, recommendation level, satisfaction of past purchasers, popularity ranking in the area, etc. For example, the price, customer demographic, impression, condition (individually wrapped, large volume), etc. may be tagged information. Also, there are souvenirs that can be purchased at multiple stores and souvenirs that can only be purchased at specific locations. It is preferable that such information is also included in the souvenir information. This makes it easier to set the place to purchase souvenirs.

In this embodiment, the route generation unit 113 includes souvenir purchasing locations in the tourist route. For example, the route generation unit 113 includes stores where recommended souvenirs can be purchased based on the souvenir information contained in the tourist information database 122 in the tourist route. This configuration can improve the enjoyment of a traveler's trip. This configuration can also increase the likelihood that a traveler will purchase local souvenirs. In other words, it can help revitalize the local economy.

In this embodiment, the route generation unit 113 generates a tourist route by setting the visiting time of at least one place to a time period suitable for visiting based on the tourist information. By configuring in this way, the places to be visited can be visited at a time suitable for sightseeing, increasing the possibility that the tourist will be satisfied.

In detail, the time period suitable for visiting the place to be visited is set based on the SNS information. For example, the time period suitable for visiting the place to be visited is set based on the image information contained in the SNS information. The SNS information is tourist information contained in the tourist information database 122. By using the SNS information, it is easy to obtain information related to time, and it is possible to appropriately determine the recommended visiting time for the recommended place to be visited.

The output unit 114 outputs the tourist route generated by the route generation unit 113 to the terminal device 2. That is, the tourist route generated by the route generation unit 113 can be proposed to the traveler. The tourist route to be output may be a single route or multiple routes. For example, when the tourist route generated by the route generation unit 113 is used in a navigation device of a rental car, the tourist route may be output to the traveler's smartphone, personal computer, etc., before using the rental car. As another example, the tourist route generated by the route generation unit 113 may be output to the navigation device of the rental car rented by the traveler.

The change acceptance unit 115 accepts a traveler's request to make changes to the sightseeing route generated by the route generation unit 113. When a traveler requests a change to the sightseeing route sent to the terminal device 2 by the output unit 114, the change acceptance unit 115 accepts the change request. Specifically, the change acceptance unit 115 receives the change request sent from the terminal device 2 and causes the route generation unit 113 to generate the sightseeing route again. As a result, the route generation unit 113 generates a sightseeing route that takes the change request into account. The provision of the change acceptance unit 115 makes it easier to customize a sightseeing route to suit the traveler's preferences, thereby increasing the traveler's satisfaction.

(2-2. Example of Operation of Tourist Route Generation Device)
Next, an example of the operation of the tourist route generation device 1 configured as above will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a tourist suggestion process using the tourist route generation device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, when a traveler inputs traveler information to reserve a rental car using his/her terminal device 2, the process of Fig. 4 is started.

In step S1, the traveler information acquisition unit 111 acquires traveler information. For example, the traveler information acquisition unit 111 acquires traveler information from a traveler's own smartphone or personal computer via the communication line network 3. The traveler information acquisition unit 111 adds additional information (tags) to the acquired traveler information and includes it in the traveler information database 121. Once the traveler information with the tags has been obtained, processing proceeds to the next step S2.

In step S2, the route generation unit 113 generates a tourist route based on the traveler information database 121 and the tourist information database 122. The route generation process for generating a tourist route will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 5A. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the route generation process for generating a tourist route. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing detailed processing of step S2 in Fig. 4. Fig. 5A is a schematic diagram showing a database structure used in the route generation process and an example of its use (data matching, etc.). The database structure shown in Fig. 5A is a simplified example, and other structures may be used. In the example shown in Fig. 5A, a traveler inputs traveler information using a smartphone.

In step S21, the route generation unit 113 refers to the traveler information obtained in step S1 to extract the traveler's nationality and visited areas. In this example, nationality is used, but it is not limited to nationality and may be the traveler's departure country, etc. Once the nationality and visited areas have been extracted, processing proceeds to the next step S22.

In step S22, the route generation unit 113 extracts tourist spots and souvenirs by referring to information in the tourist information database 122 corresponding to the region visited by the traveler and the nationality. Using the example shown in FIG. 3, if the region visited by the traveler is region α and the traveler's nationality is country A, the general information, specific information, and evaluation information of country A in region α are referenced to extract tourist spots and souvenirs. Note that it is not necessary to extract both tourist spots and souvenirs; for example, only tourist spots may be extracted. Tourist spots may also include places to eat.

The route generation unit 113 extracts recommended places to visit and souvenirs based on, for example, unique information about the areas visited by the traveler in the country of the traveler's nationality. For example, places to visit and souvenirs that are popular on SNS in the country of the traveler's nationality are extracted. Popular on SNS refers to, for example, a large number of "likes" or comments. In addition, for example, tourist spots and souvenirs that correspond to top search keywords published on the Internet are extracted. In addition, for example, tourist spots and souvenirs that have been introduced recently on television or radio are extracted. The number of tourist spots and souvenirs extracted may be one or more. Note that, if the traveler information includes places that the traveler wants to visit or souvenirs that the traveler wants to purchase, it is preferable to extract the desired places to visit and souvenirs that the traveler wants to purchase together.

In this example, the nationality of the traveler information entered by the traveler is used. As shown in FIG. 5A, a suitable information destination country is selected according to the nationality, and a database (DB) of the selected suitable information destination country is used. However, the nationality of the traveler information may not be used to select the suitable information destination country. For example, the traveler may be able to select the suitable information destination country at will. For example, there may be cases where a traveler wants to experience a trip suitable for travelers from any other country, rather than their own country. Taking such points into consideration, the traveler may be able to set any country as the suitable information destination country.

When using unique information (SNS information, etc.) to extract visited places, etc., it is preferable to take into consideration the season, weather, location, and time when the information was posted or published. For example, if the tourist season for travelers is summer, it is preferable to extract tourist spots, etc. using information posted or published in the summer. When using unique information (SNS information, etc.) to extract visited places, etc., general information and evaluation information may be used while giving priority to the use of unique information. For example, when extracting souvenirs, the satisfaction level contained in the evaluation information may also be used. Once the extraction of tourist spots and souvenirs has been completed, processing proceeds to the next step S23.

It is preferable that the collection of unique information such as SNS information is not performed at the time of the processing of step S22, but is performed separately by batch processing or the like. In other words, it is preferable that the tourism database shown in FIG. 3 is configured to store data obtained by this separately performed batch processing or the like. The example shown in FIG. 5A is configured to use a tourism database that stores data collected by this separately performed batch processing or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 5A, tourist spots (tourist spots) are selected using priority information (e.g. based on SNS information) that has already been stored. When selecting tourist spots, for example, tourist spots of the same type as a tourist spot selected according to the priority information may be configured to have their priority lowered by a predetermined value (e.g. 5th place) according to the previous selection of the tourist spot in order to avoid duplicate selection of tourist spots of the same type. It is also possible to configure the collection of unique information such as SNS information during the processing of step S22.

In step S23, the route generating unit 113 sets the visit time of the extracted tourist spot to a time suitable for visiting the tourist spot. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, visit time information on tourist spots is stored in a database of tourist spots in association with each tourist spot. For example, a time period suitable for visiting a tourist spot (a suitable visiting time period) is stored as one piece of information on the tourist spot. The route generating unit 113 reads it out and uses it. If there are multiple extracted tourist spots, for example, the visit time is set preferentially from the tourist spot with the highest recommendation level. At this stage, it is not necessary to set a visit time period for all of the multiple extracted tourist spots, and a configuration may be adopted in which a time period suitable for visiting is set for a limited number of tourist spots with high recommendation levels. The recommendation level may be determined according to the attention level in the SNS information. The attention level can be determined according to, for example, the number of "likes". If the traveler information includes a place that the traveler wants to visit, the desired visit place may be treated as the most recommended tourist spot.

The appropriate time for visiting is determined, for example, based on photos included in the posted information on the SNS. For example, if a tourist spot extracted from a posted photo is estimated to be a place that looks beautiful when illuminated by the setting sun, the visiting time for the extracted tourist spot is set to the evening. After setting the appropriate time for visiting the extracted tourist spot, the route generation unit 113 proceeds to the next step S24.

The route generation unit 113 may also set a suitable time period or time to visit the places where the extracted souvenirs can be purchased. For example, there may be souvenirs that are only available during certain times of the day, or souvenirs that are so popular that they sell out soon after sales begin in the morning. For example, such information may be obtained from information on social media, etc., and a suitable place for buying souvenirs and a suitable time period or time to visit may be set.

In step S24, the route generation unit 113 generates a tourist route based on the tourist spots and souvenirs extracted in step S22 and the visiting time set in step S23. In other words, the route generation unit 113 generates a tourist route based on the list of potential destinations (including visiting time) generated up to step S23. The route generation unit 113 may be configured to generate only one tourist route, or may be configured to generate multiple tourist routes. When generating multiple tourist routes, for example, tourist routes with different times required for sightseeing (required time) may be generated.

In addition, the extracted souvenir may be sold at multiple locations. When the souvenir is sold at multiple locations, for example, the tourist route may be generated by setting the souvenir purchasing locations so that the tourist can stop at the souvenir purchasing locations via the shortest route. Note that, if the traveler has places he or she wants to visit or souvenirs he or she wants to purchase, it is preferable to generate a tourist route that prioritizes satisfying those wishes. In this example, the generated tourist route includes time information so as to include suggestions for suitable time periods for visiting. Once the tourist route generation is complete, the process proceeds to step S3 in FIG. 4.

A processing example of step S24 will be described in more detail. The route generation unit 113 selects a stopover point according to the departure point/destination (e.g., a place of accommodation, an airport, etc.) and the departure time/arrival time, and performs route search using these as intermediate points to calculate the required time and set the appropriate departure time/arrival time. The departure point, destination, departure time, and arrival time are, for example, times set by the traveler. The selection of the stopover points is performed by selecting tourist spots, etc. one by one in order from the top according to the traveler's preferences (information obtained by the above-mentioned estimation process). In the route search, the preferred visiting time period given to the selected tourist spots, etc. is used. The route search is performed until the required time reaches the departure time/arrival time set by the traveler. At this time, it is preferable to perform coefficient processing so that multiple tourist spots of the same type are not selected. For example, when a certain tourist spot is selected, it is preferable to perform processing such as lowering the priority by a certain order so that a tourist spot of the same type as the selected tourist spot is less likely to be selected next. As another method of route generation, a list of recommended tourist spots for each type of tourist spot may be displayed, and the traveler may select one at a time. Each time, the route and required time (estimated time of arrival at the final destination) may be displayed, and the route may be generated by repeating this process. In this case, it is preferable to be able to use a general selection operation method (function), such as deleting a tourist spot that has already been selected.

Returning to FIG. 4, in step S3, the output unit 114 outputs the previously generated tourist route to the terminal device 2 using the communication line network 3. This allows a tourist route to be proposed to the traveler. The proposed tourist route can preferably be displayed, for example, on a map displayed on a screen possessed by the terminal device 2 or on a screen of a monitor connected to the terminal device 2. Tourist spots and souvenir purchasing locations included in the tourist route are preferably displayed as icons. Different icons may be used for tourist spots and souvenir purchasing locations. Also, for example, it is preferable that when an icon is touched on the screen, photo information of the tourist spot, etc. is displayed.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the screen display when an icon 51 indicating where to buy souvenirs is touched on a screen 50 displaying tourist routes. In the example shown in Figure 6, recommended souvenirs are displayed on screen 50 in descending order of recommendation level. In addition, the example shown in Figure 6 displays information about the souvenir's price and reasons for its recommendation, such as its appearance on television. In this way, a configuration that allows information about souvenirs to be viewed by touching icon 51 makes it easier for travelers to select tourist routes.

In this embodiment, when the tourist route is output to the terminal device 2, a response to the proposed content is requested. For example, the traveler responds as to whether or not he/she approves of the proposed tourist route. If multiple tourist routes are proposed, the traveler selects one of the tourist routes and notifies the selected tourist route. If the traveler wishes to change the proposed tourist route when responding, the traveler conveys the desired change. The desired change may be, for example, the deletion of a place to be visited that is included in the proposed tourist route, or the addition of a place to be visited that is not included in the proposed tourist route. The response is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the tourist route generation device 1 via the communication network 3.

When the output unit 114 has completed outputting the tourist route, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the change reception unit 115 checks whether there are any changes to the proposed tourist route. If there are any changes (Yes in step S4), the process returns to step S2 and the route generation process is performed. However, in this case, the route generation process is a process that only makes changes to the desired changes. If there are no changes (No in step S4), the process proceeds to the next step S5.

In step S5, since there is no desire to make any changes, the proposed tourist route is confirmed as the tourist route. After this, the process proceeds so that the navigation device operates according to the confirmed tourist route, for example. For example, if the tourist route is confirmed before the rental car is used, the tourist route is stored in the memory unit 12 or the like and transmitted to the navigation device when the rental car is used. Also, for example, if the terminal device 2 used by the traveler is a navigation device installed in the rental car, the process is performed so that navigation can immediately begin using the confirmed tourist route. After the tourist route is confirmed, the process in the next step S6 is performed.

In step S6, the tourist information acquisition unit 112 acquires the evaluation result from the traveler regarding the proposed tourist route. The evaluation result may be transmitted from a navigation device functioning as the terminal device 2, for example, when returning the rental car. As another example, the evaluation result may be output from the traveler's smartphone or personal computer after returning the rental car. Once the evaluation result is acquired, processing proceeds to the next step S7. Note that it is also possible that the evaluation result cannot be acquired.

In step S7, the tourist information acquisition unit 112 updates the tourist information database 122 in accordance with the evaluation results. For example, if a tourist spot or souvenir that was presumed to have a high reputation and recommended has a low rating, such information is added to the tourist information database 122 or existing information is modified. In some cases, the traveler information database 121 may be updated in accordance with the evaluation results. This completes the series of processes for making tourist suggestions to a certain traveler.

As described above, in this embodiment, the tourist information acquisition unit 112 updates the tourist information database based on the evaluation results of travelers. By configuring it in this way, the more it is used, the more the reliability of the information contained in the tourist information database 112 can be improved.

(2-3. Modified Examples)
[2-3-1. First modified example]
Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the route generation process for generating a sightseeing route. Like Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the detailed process of step S2 in Fig. 4.

In step S21A, the route generation unit 113 extracts tag information and visited areas contained in the traveler information obtained in step S1. Once the tag information and visited areas have been extracted, processing proceeds to the next step S22A.

In step S22A, the route generation unit 113 refers to information corresponding to the traveler's visited area in the tourist information database 122. The route generation unit 113 then extracts tourist spots and souvenirs that have information in common with the traveler's tag information (e.g., common tag information) from the information corresponding to the visited area. For example, if the tag information added to the traveler information includes "impressive", tourist spots included in the information that also has the tag "impressive" are extracted as recommended tourist spots. Also, for example, if the tag information added to the traveler information includes "inexpensive", souvenirs included in the information that also has the tag "inexpensive" are extracted as recommended souvenirs. Also, for example, information on people similar to the tag information added to the traveler information may be searched for in the tourist information database 122, and recommended tourist spots and souvenirs may be extracted using the SNS information and evaluation information of the similar people.

After the tourist spots and souvenirs are extracted in step S22A, the process proceeds to step S23A and then step S24A. The process of step S23A and step S24A may be similar to step S23 and step S24 in FIG. 5 described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

The route generation unit 113 may perform both the tourist spot and souvenir extraction process in the route generation process of the above-mentioned embodiment (see FIG. 5) and the tourist spot and souvenir extraction process in the route generation process of the first modified example (see FIG. 7), and comprehensively evaluate both extraction results to determine the tourist spot and souvenir purchasing locations to be included in the tourist route. Furthermore, the tourist spot and souvenir extraction process in the route generation process of the above-mentioned embodiment and the tourist spot and souvenir extraction process in the route generation process of the first modified example may be configured to be switched between each other.

[2-3-2. Second Modification]
When the above-described embodiment and the first modified example are used, when a sightseeing route is proposed to multiple travelers of the same type during the same period, the travelers may gather at the same sightseeing spots or souvenir shopping places, causing congestion. For this reason, when it is necessary to generate sightseeing routes for multiple travelers of a similar type during the same period, the route generation unit 113 preferably generates the sightseeing route by adjusting the visiting times of the similar types of travelers to the visiting places. By configuring in this way, it is possible to alleviate congestion at sightseeing spots and souvenir shopping places.

For example, if any one of the tag information added to the traveler information is the same, the travelers may be determined to be of a similar type. As another example, if specific tag information (e.g. nationality) added to the traveler information is the same, the travelers may be determined to be of a similar type. As another example, if the number of identical tag information added to the traveler information exceeds a predetermined number (e.g. three), the travelers may be determined to be of a similar type.

<3. Important points to note>
In addition to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, the various technical features disclosed in this specification can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical creation. In other words, the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the technical scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, and should be understood to include all modifications that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims. In addition, the multiple embodiments and modifications shown in this specification may be implemented in appropriate combinations to the extent possible.

Reference Signs List 1: Tourist route generation device 2: Terminal device 100: Tourist route proposal system 111: Traveler information acquisition unit 112: Tourist information acquisition unit 113: Route generation unit 115: Change acceptance unit 122: Tourist information database

Claims (12)

A sightseeing route generation device having a control unit ,
The control unit is
Acquire traveler information , which is information about a traveler, and tourist information about a region visited by the traveler ;
generating a tourist route including places to visit in the region for each type of tourist based on the traveler information and the tourist information;
When the sightseeing routes for a plurality of travelers of a similar type are generated for the same period, the visiting times of the plurality of travelers of the similar type to the visiting places are adjusted.
Tourist route generation device. The control unit is
determining that a predetermined number of travelers having the same tag information added to the traveler information are the similar type of travelers;
The tourist route generation device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
Among the tag information added to the traveler information, travelers having the same specific tag information are determined to be the plurality of travelers of a similar type.
The tourist route generation device according to claim 1 . The control unit manages the tourist information as a tourist information database,
4. The tourist route generation device according to claim 1, wherein the tourist information database includes at least one of information from a social networking service relating to tourism in the region and evaluation information of people who have previously visited the region . 5. The tourist route generation device according to claim 4 , wherein the tourist information database is provided so as to enable extraction of information on a country basis regarding the tourist information, or to enable extraction of information on a type basis of the traveler regarding the tourist information. The tourist route generation device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit updates the tourist information database based on the evaluation result of the traveler. The tourist information includes information about souvenirs of the region;
The tourist route generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes the souvenir purchasing locations in the tourist route. The control unit is
transmitting the tourist route to a navigation device of a rental car used by the traveler;
The tourist route generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The control unit is
transmitting the sightseeing route to a terminal device possessed by the traveler before starting to use the rental car;
The tourist route generation device according to claim 8. The control unit is
Acquire the traveler information from personal information of the traveler that the traveler inputs for reserving a rental car.
The tourist route generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The control unit is
The tourist route generation device according to claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a request from the traveler for a change to the generated tourist route; and generating a tourist route taking into account the request for change . A sightseeing route generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 11;
A terminal device capable of communicating with the tourist route generation device and available for use by the traveler;
A tourist route suggestion system.