Two scientific publications analyse changes in tourism practices using digital traces left by visitors. Conducted within the De Vinci Research Centre (DVRC), this research combines computer science and geography to provide complementary perspectives on contemporary tourism dynamics.
Beyond their shared focus on tourism data, these two publications address complementary analytical dimensions.
Interdisciplinary research on digital tourism
Tourism analysis is gradually evolving as the availability of digital data generated by online platforms increases. Reviews, geolocated content, shared itineraries and user-generated information now complement traditional survey-based and aggregated statistical approaches.
Within this context, two peer-reviewed publications produced at the DVRC address tourism practices from an interdisciplinary standpoint. They reflect ongoing collaboration between computer scientists and geographers, developed within the Digital Tourism Working Group of the 2EMARK research axis.
This work is carried out in close cooperation with the European Metropolis of Lille (MEL) and the IREST – Institute for Tourism Studies and Research.
Digital traces as a lens on tourism metropolisation
The first article, “Tourism metropolisation through the lens of digital traces: the European Metropolis of Lille between surveys and observatories”, was published in the Bulletin de l’Association de géographes français. It explores how digital traces can be used to analyse tourism dynamics at the metropolitan scale.
By leveraging data collected from online platforms, the study provides a more detailed characterisation of tourism metropolisation processes. It highlights spatial diffusion patterns, polycentric structures, and functional redefinitions of destinations that are often difficult to capture through administrative boundaries alone.
These findings contribute to a refined understanding of tourism territories based on observed practices rather than predefined spatial frameworks.
SeqPatTour: analysing tourist behaviour through sequences
The second publication, “SeqPatTour: sequential patterns-based metrics for better understanding the tourism behaviour”, appeared in the journal Quality & Quantity. It focuses on a methodological contribution aimed at analysing tourist behaviour using sequential pattern mining.
SeqPatTour introduces metrics that capture tourists’ spatio-temporal trajectories and the succession of activities during their stay.
By analysing sequences of actions instead of aggregated indicators, this approach enables a more precise examination of how tourism experiences are structured over time and space. It offers new analytical tools for studying behavioural dynamics at an individual level while remaining applicable to large datasets.
Combining spatial and behavioural approaches
Taken together, these two articles demonstrate the value of combining spatial and behavioural analysis using large-scale digital data. This methodological convergence opens new perspectives for tourism research by linking where tourism occurs with how visitors actually move, interact with, and consume destinations.
Such approaches provide insights that can inform public policies related to tourism planning, destination management and territorial development.
They support decision-making processes based on observed practices, rather than solely on declarative surveys or aggregated statistics.
Academic and territorial partnerships
This research builds on sustained collaboration between the ESILV, the IREST and the European Metropolis of Lille.
The support and funding provided by the MEL, particularly through the involvement of Mihaela Axente (PhD), enabled the development of this joint research activity within the DVRC.
The publications bring together researchers and faculty members from complementary disciplines, reflecting the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in the scientific projects conducted at the ESILV.
Learn more about ESILV’s research strategy
This post was last modified on 20 January 2026 5:19 pm