Looking to the future

By Jamal Satli Iglesias

Cities and regions are fighting to attract the kind of tourism that is sustainable while also generating wealth. Tourist destinations position themselves to attract “better” tourists that spend more per trip, who will come back again, and who will share their holiday experience with others. Having, taking care of and offering a good tourism product is of course fundamentally important. It is hard to do anything without a good tourism product, and it is clear that every destination has its own speciality.

Spain, the second most popular country in the word for international visitors after France, and ahead of tourist powerhouses like the USA, Italy and China, stands as an example to other emerging tourist destinations, whether they are visited for holidays, culture, cuisine, sport, conferences, shopping or more. Spain can't afford to be complacent, and we need to offer higher quality and more variety, at competitive prices that are still profitable, socially sustainable and environmentally friendly for the destination.

Avoiding complacency means improving our tourism products and services through emotional intelligence as well as smart technology. Some cities have launched a new path that advances in parallel with the digital revolution. In this new era, tourist destinations, more than ever, offer visitors the chance to enjoy a smart tourism experience, which aims to allow users to make the most of the information at their fingertips through interconnected mobile devices.

Incorporating smart intelligence with tourist destinations, where there is a clear need for interconnectivity under an action plan, should give a boost to the different actors involved (the visitor, the destination as an experience, already established companies, the local tech ecosystem and digital services and business) and act as the backbone for Smart Tourism Destinations.

The natural evolution of Smart Tourism Destinations involves the full adaptation and optimised use of ICT tools, along with continuous updates as they appear. We’ve already gone from recognisable QR codes to geolocalisation, augmented reality, audio guides, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) systems and Near Field Communication (NFC).

Technological development adapted to the present day is conducive to progress and successfully establishing Smart Tourism Destinations. This is not about just any kind of development; it needs to be adapted to the existing ecosystem in each tourist destination. A Smart Tourism Destination has to be protected by a technological fabric connecting all the parties and elements that make up its structure, in order to make it easier for these new experiences to appear, both in terms of increased use and acceptance of smart information and services. Smart isn't just aimed at visitors but can also be used by citizens who live in Smart Tourism Destinations, as they will live in a city that is adapted to technology.

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) advises citizens to embrace the strategy employed by Smart Tourism Organisations to handle the boom in urban tourism and mitigate the risks involved in disorderly growth while also offering visitors opportunities for varied and authentic experiences. The problem is not so much “over tourism” but rather “unbalanced tourism”. Spain, ever the pioneer, launched the Smart Tourism Destination Network at the end of 2018, with 70 destinations throughout the country's 17 Autonomous Communities. The network aims to strengthen coordination and integration between the public authorities involved in managing each destination, as well as the tourist industry, small businesses, the tech industry, tour operators, service providers, residents and tourists.