Confucius said, “If you want to do your job well, you must first sharpen your tools.” Such saying is a timeless word of wisdom. With the widespread use of smart phones supplemented by the Cloud concept, we can obtain all kinds of information instantly with one finger, and our use is not limited by the environment: we can imagine getting useful information anytime and anywhere in the future—while diving in the sea, flying in the air with hang gliders, or being in the tall mountains.

The article attempts to discuss the convenience of the already developed portable navigating system. In the past, besides bringing their luggage, tourists would also install satellite navigation in their cars to guide them on their traveling route or prepare an atlas, both of which are cumbersome, take up space and are unsuitable for lightly packed domestic tourism. Smart phones, meanwhile, integrate all kinds of travel assistance software, including food, accommodation, transportation routes, tourist attractions, traffic conditions, satellite positioning, and innumerable other services. Nowadays governments—in order to promote tourism—simplified the integration of the above-mentioned information and created an assistive software known as the APP program.

Having this APP tourist assistive program can reduce unknown situations. Speaking from my own experiences, when planning a hiking trip to the Shei-Pa National Park and figuring out how to get to Guanwu Recreation Area of Shei-Pa National Park from Hsinchu, in addition to using GOOGLE MAP to position-search traffic path, Shei-Pa National Park provided an attentive service, that is, building a mobile navigation APP for the Park (note #1). Even though the APP functions are not completely set up, the currently available tourist information is simple and easy to use. After logging in, it uses a hierarchical Tap selection and traffic information can be find in the last item on the menu. There is a total of seven options, such as service authorities, Shei-pa National Park, etc., marking out the overview of the three main entrances to the Park. The option more established at present time is the “Attractions Query”.

For what is lacking in the APP, tourists can use the Smartphone’s internet access to link to the Park’s webpage and browse detailed information. After understanding the options of the entire APP software, if the traffic info says driving, tap on the second option “Shei-Pa National Park” and then “Guanwu Recreation Area”; two options will appear as well (I. Introduction of Guanwu Recreation Area; II. Traffic information on going to Guanwu). Tapping the second option will bring up complete traffic information. At the end of the content it will remind tourists of the narrowness of the Dalu Forest Road, the main road in the mountain area, and that it is only for small passenger cars to drive through. With the traffic information understood, tourists can also view the introduction to get to know the basic information on their destination. For example, the Dabajian Mountain of Guanwu, having an elevation of more than 2000 ft, is an excellent place to reach the top to enjoy the view of the clouds and mists. Moreover, the ecological guided tour signs along the hiking trails are well made and will let the tourists match the scenery in front of their eyes.

For the time being, there are no government units not engaging in producing APP software for each attraction point in Taiwan. In the Shei-Pa National Park described above, using the smart phone as a medium is sufficient to start planning trips before entering the mountain. However, it is most important to visit the Customer Service Center for the most updated information to supplement what has not been updated on APP, such as reminders for tourists to obtain a class B pass for same day exit, letting them know which mountain is under repairmen, which attraction is closed due to natural disaster, etc. The weakness of the APP navigation software is that it still has restrictions. But it’s greatest strength is the accompanying positioning function and emergency dialing of the mobile phone. For example, HTC engineers encountered difficulties in the mountains recently and were saved by these two features in the face of adversity. However, lack of information is the cause of repeated difficulties in the mountain (note 2). Both the government and the citizens have things to reflect on. Considering the changeable weather in the mountain, the government should establish a warning system or APP software, just like the warning system for debris flow in Nantou. Can we inquire about the weather in advance with APP? The answer is yes. The Central Weather Bureau provides real-time information updates, and forecasts the weather up to one week accompanied by satellite images of the day, allowing hikers to make an assessment before entering the mountain. Although smartphones and APP bring a lot of convenience, there are still unperfected areas and restrictions. It is a pity that on the allocation of human resources the government cannot accommodate the building of the Cloud. While endeavoring to promote tourism in Taiwan internationally, shouldn’t they also improve the software and hardware facilities at major attractions in the country to provide tourists with the right to know in a fast and convenient manner?

Note  1：http://www.spnp.gov.tw/Article.aspx?a=bGy4fmq6794%3d&lang=1

Note 2：http://catalog.digitalarchives.tw/item/00/2f/4a/79.html（2011/11/13）。