Abstract

This project is the outcome of a partnership with ADAPTIVE, an entrepreneurial

company with interests in the turism industry located in Madeira Island, Portugal.
The project is aimed for the tourist market namely the problem of finding the
right hotel(s) for the desired type of holidays, whether it may be a typical beach
resort or a mountain-side cottage or even other location that the user . We all know
that sometimes choosing a specific hotel from a list can be tricky and misleading at
times specially if there is more than one people deciding. Thus and after some
research we found that all of the web pages of turistic interest have a search system
that simply prints the hotels according to some preference of the user - information
filtering - but does not possess decision support mechanisms.
Our intention is to build a better system incorporated with a decision support for
user(s). We illustrate the modelling approach and the use of DSS with the help of a
case example that highlights the utility of the proposed DSS.

1. Introduction

Nowadays more and more people are using internet to find their dream
vacations and the destiny Madeira is one of the most searched on Portugal mainly by
foreigners. People are using the web to bookmark the hotel they wish, to see
information of that particular hotel and more unlimited actions that web had brought
to the population. As in every sector of a country’s economy, innovation brings
competitiveness and the new products must have new approaches to bring better
alternatives to the user.
An study that illustrates that more and more people are using internet to buy
common things that on past was impossible, is the Yahoo Korea (1998) study, more
books, CDs, software and video tapes are being sold online. These studies reference
the sells of commercial material but illustrate exactly the search and interest of
internet to achieve some goals.
Some web sites from entities like Direcção Regional do Turismo do Algarve and
Direcção Regional do Turismo da Madeira, have search systems but are very simple
and don’t help provide any support for the user`s decision process. In this project we
propose a system which we will call ADAPTIVE Travel that will use some
technologies:

• Java Script
• XML
• XSchema
• AJAX
• HTML+CSS
• Web DSS (alternative of a common web page)
• AHP (Analytic Hierarchic Process)
• SCA (Strategic Choice Approach)

This project will be divided on three stages, which will bring to the user to a
Hotel Search, Attribute Comparison and ADAPTIVE Group Travel.
2. Web DSS

Web DSS is an alternative for the common DSS as being a group or individual.
Principally there are the aspect the web brings on the DSS giving others structures
and approaches. Web DSS is connected through the internet through open
communication. This way DSS is readily available to everybody by the web and thus
bringing new commercials challenges for today’s market.
On web decision problems, now can be solved with various technologies of web
building on a way that the goal is always accomplished to find the optimized
solution. That solution may not be the perfect solution but is the more optimized.
Web DSS made the best use of dispersion models and database, which solves
problems for decision support applicants, or people in an internet environment.

A new approach
for a web
application to
Problems which
meet market
demands a Necessity of
demand
decision by help for a
attribute decision when
comparison data is large

Problems which
Group of
demands a
persons with
decision by Web different
lifestyle
preferences
DSS opinions

Connection by Insufficient data

internet for a decision

Fig. 1 – Why Web DSS?

3. AHP
In this project we are using some methods and algorithms that help reaching
some goals. The decision mechanism is based on the famous attribute comparison
attribute, AHP (analytic hierarchy process). This algorithm classifies alternatives
and multiple criteria in solving decision support problems.
One can choose optimum selections as weight (quality, price, location) by
measuring the importance, capability and preference. Therefore, the AHP algorithm
is the best alternative in cases of multi-standards. AHP can also consider qualitative
analysis, and infer a reasonable unity in valuation. Thus, the most important merit of
the AHP is considering any possible multi-dimension decisive factor, whether
objectively or subjectively. AHP is not a complex process of solving complex
problems but instead, facilitates easier analysis. Therefore, we can see which
alternatives and categories are considered, check errors in the abstract, see which
judgment is logical, and express various results from complex problems. We can
also obtain data on changing results for measurement.
 The ADAPTIVE TRAVEL systems can provide more intelligent support in the
process of selecting relevant attributes for comparison. AHP will also accomplish
group decisions.

4. Implementation model

The model is divided by three structures to a better understanding of the project.

We have the basic, medium and advance design. This will illustrate how it will work
the system step by step. Hierarchically the designs were made on a parallel view of
the evolution of the project.

4.1. Basic Design

This design exemplifies the initial idea it was for this project. A user who enters
on our system will have some tools to filter information which will be vital for his
search. The goal is to view the search results on real time. This is possible with an
interface which will bring to the user a better view on the results being easier and
quicker, challenging the common web pages which are more complicated because
it’s always jumping from one page to another, retrieving vital time on the search.

USER WEB SEARCH DSS

FILTER RESULTS TECHNOLOGY

2 and 3
1
Fig. 2 – Basic design

4.2. Medium design

This design is a upper step than the basic one. This illustrates some blocks which
will be the heart of this project. The user will encounter the Hotel Search (1) and
next have two possible systems, the Attribute Comparison (2) and ADAPTIVE
Group Travel (3).
 USER

HOTEL
SEARCH

2 3

ADAPTIVE
ATTRIBUTE
GROUP
COMPARISON
TRAVEL

Fig. 3 – Medium design

The Hotel Search is a search system which will find hotels according user
preferences. Attribute Comparison will use AHP algorithm using the AHP
Fundamental Pairwise Comparison Scale. Adaptive Group Travel is when a group
of persons (families, companies, etc.) wants to decide the best hotel to choose
according with the criteria of all individuals of a particular group.

4.2.1. Hotel Search

On this system it’s visible the technologies that will be used to build the
application and how is retrieved the information from the server. The idea is to build
a XML file which all information from all hotel units will be retrieved by a new
approach of web applications called AJAX. The XML file is made with the
objective of being on each server of each hotel. One computer will every day
download those files to update the others we got. This way gives the opportunity to
the hotels to update their data when needed and those contents which are changed
will be showed updated on our search results on the next day.
 ADAPTIVE USER FIND HOTELS SEARCH
Terminal
BY LOCATION RESULTS

Server
AJAX ENGINE
http request XML Data
http(s) transport
Web

Web and/or XML server

Datastores , backend
Hotel 2 Hotel n
processing , legacy systems
Hotel 1
Server Server Server

AJAX Technology
Hotel 1
Terminal
Hotel 2
Terminal
Hotel n
Terminal
Fig. 5 – Hotel Search

Fig. 4 – Update XML

Hotel Search will have a interface which will help the user filtering some
information. The principal task of this system is to search and seek putting aside the
DSS technology.

4.2.2. Attribute Comparison

What we got on this particular system is the possibility to the user by his
attributes preferences to have an aid on a decision problem. On Hotel Search, the
system retrieves and filters data. With that data, if not possible a decision by the
user, he can enter on this application which will help him on a solution.
We will use some DSS techniques to accomplish this system, like AHP. On
AHP we will use the Pairwise Comparison mode.
To algorithm works we must define some attributes and request some
information from the user which is vital to be a functional system.
We decided to be the three most important factors for a hotel, the Quality, Price
and Location. The Location will be divided on five sectors illustrated on fig.6 that
will specify which type of location is relevant for the user which are: sea, river, lake,
centre and mountain.
 L o c a t io n

S e a

R iv e r

La ke

Ce n te r

M o u n t a in

Fig. 6

The better choice decision maker can be described very easily how the
procedure will work. On this example described on fig. 7 we have to choose from
four hotels but can be more if needed.

Better Choice

Location: sea, lake,

Price Quality river, centre and
mountain

Hotel 1 Hotel 2 Hotel 3 Hotel 4 Hotel 1 Hotel 2 Hotel 3 Hotel 4 Hotel 1 Hotel 2 Hotel 3 Hotel 4

Fig. 7 – better choice diagram

To algorithm work we need some data from user. For that some tools are
available to the user to evaluate when one attribute is versus another.
Price Location

Price Quality

Location Quality

Fig. 8
On Fig. 8 is an example how the user can evaluate weights for Attribute
Comparison when one attribute is versus another. This will classify his preferences
that will be useful for using AHP.
Next, on the database we will build some lists which will hold information
from the hotels and will be classified with stars (*). The classification goes from one
star to five stars. For example for price, we must specify some limits to attribute
automatically the stars.
 Location
Hotel Price Quality Sea River Lake Center Mountain
Crown Plaza *** **** * * * *** *
Dorisol Mimosa ** *** *** * * ** *
Madeira Palácio Resort ***** ***** ** * * **** *
Choupana Hills Resort *** **** * * * *** ***
Cliff Bay ** ** **** * * ** **
Girassol ** **** ***** * * * *
Madeira Regency Cliff **** **** * * * ***** ****
Monte Mar Palace *** *** *** * * *** *
Pestana Carlton Madeira ***** ***** **** * * ***** *
Fig. 9 – database lists

For example, if the user is uncertain about four hotels and after he choose his
preferences on the attributes, the algorithm goes to the database to retrieve the
information from those hotels and comparing in pairs by attributes exchanging the
scale from 1-5 stars to a 1-9 scale. On an example on attribute price if the hotels are
Crown Plaza, Cliff Bay and Pestana Carlton Madeira, he will structure the
information like this:

Intensity of
Definition Explanation
Importance

Two elements
1 Equal importance of both elements contribute equally to
the property

Experience and
3 Moderate importance of one element judgment slightly
over another favor one element
over another

5 Strong importance of one element Experience and

over another judgement strongly
favor one element
over another
7 Very strong importance of one An element is strongly
element over another favored and its
dominance is
demonstrated in practice
9 Extreme importance of one element The evidence favoring
one element over another
over another
is of the highest possible
order of affirmation

Fig. 10 – 1-9 AHP scale

Example:

Crown Plaza is rated 3 stars for price, while Dorisol has 2 stars for the same criteria.

Price: Crown Plaza: ***

Dorisol: **
The implementation simply transforms each of the 1-5 scale values into the 1-9 scale
using simple linear transformation. Then it picks the differences between them the
values found for the 1-9 scale, and thus giving a term of comparison between the two of
them for price criteria of the hotels.

For the example Dorisol has an intensity of importance of 2 compared to Crown Plaza.

This example is valid for other comparisons between hotels and for all criteria.