Over the course of three days (February 15 to 17), more than a hundred speakers from 20 countries gathered in Murcia (Spain) to present solutions and experiences in “smart destinations”. The first UNWTO Global Conference on Smart Destinations was organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in cooperation with the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Digital and the Region of Murcia.
“Smart destinations” play an essential role in sustainable development and are a factor of progress not only in the tourism sector, but also for societies as a whole. Technological solutions have demonstrated utility in supporting decision-making based on factual data, choosing priority measures and anticipating future scenarios – all crucial elements for responsible management of tourism and its impacts.
The side events scheduled during these three days made it possible to address topics such as measurement systems in smart destinations to obtain up-to-date data at periodic intervals, intelligent promotion of tourist sites and even digital accessibility.
Discussions also focused on new solutions to improve the accessibility of destinations, the possibilities and challenges associated with georeferenced data, big data and open data platforms, and smart tools for better environmental protection. In addition, the evolution of travel behavior and increasingly personalized customer experiences, new commercial activity models and the role of entrepreneurs, the improvement of participatory processes thanks to intelligent solutions, the relationship between the traveler and local communities as well as the sharing of existing applications were at the heart of the debates.
“Smart tourism is not a trend, but the future of tourism development,” declared UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai at the opening of the Conference, adding that: “There could not be a better context than that of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development (2017) for the holding of such an event, dedicated to the major challenges and opportunities to be seized for the tourism sector in the coming years. »
« Spain has not only adhered to the concept of ‘smart tourism’, but it has also launched projects and measures in this direction such as making the island of Hierro or cities like Palma ‘smart destinations’ or even undertaking normative activities on this subject » declared the Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Matilde Asián.
“Destinations must take into account the new global context – a complex context in which tourist behavior and new technologies are changing economic structures and corresponding policies. This new scenario is marked by constant evolution,” declared the President of the Murcia region, Pedro Antonio Sánchez.
