Objective
An ever increasing number of business visitors to European countries wish, and need, to have information, in the area they are to visit, about: - trade fairs, shows, markets, exhibitions, sports events, festivals - local industrial and trade activity - touristic possibilities
The purpose of the ALTO project - Advanced Links for Trade and Tourism Information - is to provide users with world-wide access to such information.
The final goal is that the information existing in data bases established by Chambers of Commerce and Regional Authorities throughout the E.U. be made available using such distribution channels as Automobile Club networks, travel agent networks and "Global Distribution Systems" such as Amadeus. In the Project information from Source data bases will be transferred to Distributors' Target data bases, where it will be stored for access by the Distributors' users' terminals. The transfer to the Distributors will be done through EDI, using EDIFACT standards. This has two major advantages: - the fact that the various participants have heterogeneous technical environments is irrelevant. ALTO requires no specific infrastructure; it uses existing telecommunications networks and the participants' existing equipment. - the fact that the data is transmitted according to EDIFACT makes the system independant of the Source and Target languages; in this way one can achieve a Common European Trade and Tourism Information area.
Based on the experience of the previous projects (ULYSSE, EDITIN, TOURNET), the ALTO project will help the Business and Tourism Information Providers to install an already parametrized EDIFACT translator and to make the necessary interface between each individual database and the translator. Each information provider will send the information at his disposal to the distributors. The data will be disseminated via the Internet and the technical software will allow for subsequent multimedia exchange between partners. The information will be processed and selected by each distributor according to his needs. Reciprocal agreements will be made between providers and distributors to cover the usage of the information concerned.
The results of the project will be disseminated as widely as possible in order to attract a large number of eventual participants in the scheme.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
75008 PARIS
France