Ecovista: A Web Services Platform for Sustainable Ecotourism

Ecovista is a cloud-native, microservices-based web platform designed to enhance ecotourism in Tunisia. It helps ecotourism enthusiasts discover destinations, participate in sustainable activities, and connect with travel groups. Users can also share reviews, fostering a community for eco-friendly travel.

Features

• Eco-Friendly Destinations: A searchable database of eco-tourism destinations.
• Sustainable Activities: A curated list of eco-conscious activities for users to explore.
• Travel Groups: Tools to join or create travel groups for collaborative eco-tourism experiences.
• User Reviews: A system to share feedback and recommendations.
• Authentication and Authorization: Secure user login with JWT tokens and role-based access.

Project Structure

1. Introduction:
   • Problem: Limited access to reliable platforms for discovering sustainable travel options in Tunisia.
   • Solution: Ecovista bridges the gap by integrating destinations, activities, travel groups, and reviews into a single platform.
2. Utility:
   • Purpose: Promote ecotourism while supporting environmental conservation and cultural preservation.
   • User Benefits: Secure authentication, destination exploration, activity planning, and community building.
3. System Design:
   • Architecture: Decomposed into 6 independent microservices (users, destinations, activities, travel groups, reviews, and gateway/auth), each independently deployable and scalable.
   • Database: Includes users, destinations, activities, travel groups, and reviews, with relational models for seamless integration.
   • API Endpoints:
     • User Management (e.g., signup, login, update, delete).
     • Destination Management (e.g., create, read, update, delete).
     • Activity Management (e.g., browse, manage).
     • Travel Group Management (e.g., join, create).
     • Reviews Management (e.g., add, browse).
4. User Interface:
   • Responsive design built with React for intuitive navigation.
   • Key Screens: Login/Signup, Dashboard, Destination/Activity Details, Travel Groups.

Demo

Screen.Recording.2026-01-18.030648.online-video-cutter.com.-2.online-video-cutter.com.mp4

Code Overview

• Frontend: Developed with React for a dynamic and engaging user experience.
• Backend: Decomposed into 6 independent RESTful microservices for efficient, scalable communication between frontend and backend.
• Authentication: Implements JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for secure login and session management.
• Database: Relational database (MySQL) to manage users, destinations, activities, and reviews.

Deployment & Infrastructure

• Containerization: All services are Dockerized, with multi-container orchestration via Docker Compose for local development.
• Orchestration: Deployed on both standard Kubernetes (GKE/EKS/AKS-compatible manifests) and Red Hat OpenShift, supporting flexible, enterprise-grade deployment targets.
• CI/CD: Automated build pipeline using OpenShift Source-to-Image (S2I), building directly from Git commits.
• Service Discovery: Internal DNS-based service discovery between microservices.
• Storage & Networking: Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs) for stateful data, with automated HTTPS routing and SSL termination at the edge.

Tools & Technologies

• Languages & Frameworks: Python (Flask), JavaScript (React)
• Database & Storage: MySQL, Kubernetes Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs)
• Authentication: JWT
• Containerization & Cloud: Docker, Docker Compose, Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift
• CI/CD: OpenShift Source-to-Image (S2I)
• Design & Tools: Figma, Visual Studio Code, Git

Tools & Technologies

Key Functionalities

1. Eco-Friendly Destinations:
   • Search and filter destinations.
   • View destination details, including activities and reviews.
2. Sustainable Activities:
   • Add, update, or delete activities for destinations.
   • Explore activities based on user preferences.
3. Travel Groups:
   • Create or join eco-friendly travel groups.
   • Collaborate and plan group trips.
4. User Reviews:
   • Share feedback on destinations.
   • Browse reviews from the community.

Challenges & Future Enhancements

Challenges

• Ensuring security and scalability across independently deployed microservices.
• Coordinating service discovery and networking consistently across Kubernetes and OpenShift environments.
• Creating a user-friendly yet feature-rich interface.

Future Enhancements

• Real-Time Features: Introduce live chat and forums for better engagement.
• AI-Powered Recommendations: Suggest destinations and activities tailored to user preferences.
• Multilingual Support: Expand the platform's accessibility globally.
• Mobile App Development: Provide on-the-go access to all platform features.
• Observability: Add centralized logging and monitoring across microservices.