| WHAT IS GEOCACHING |
Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for GPS users. By using a GPS unit, tourism businesses or community tourism organizations can set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the Internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find Geocaches (pronounced “Geo -cash”). Caches can be real places, experiences, virtual information (A sign that leads you somewhere else), or other variations. Once found, a geocache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards.
From an experiential travel perspective, Geocaching is a great way to bring leisure travelers to your community, your region, or your business. Crafting a well thought out Geocache or geocaching experience needs to be created by thinking carefully about the needs of the niche markets that are likely to be attracted to, or search out your Geocaches. Geocaches can also be customized into non-Internet based adventures or experiences that can be loosely called GPS Adventure Quests.
So, what is a GPS?
GPS refers to a Global Positioning Satellite receiver, easily available for today’s travelers as a hand-held unit (and also built into many new cars). A GPS unit is an electronic receiving device that can determine your approximate location (to within +/- 2 – 6 meters) anywhere on the planet.
Coordinates can be provided in longitude/latitude or a variety of other technical formats. You can use the unit to navigate from your current location to another location. Some units have their own maps, built-in electronic compasses, and voice navigation, depending on the complexity of the device. The GPS system was originally developed by the American military, and is dependent on a number of satellites that orbit the earth twice daily. Today, GPS is used in an extensive and fast-growing array of civilian uses.
This tool is fast becoming one of the “must have” tools by which some travelers are learning about areas that they travel to.
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 photo by: Byron Watson (edited)
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