Destinations should get smart says UNWTO

Sunday, 03 Mar, 2017 0

Innovation, technology and sustainability – pillars of Smart Destinations

More than 100 speakers from 20 countries recently convened in Murcia, Spain to present solutions and experiences for ‘smart destinations’.

Says the UNWTO ‘Smart destinations’ are key to sustainable development and contribute not only to advances in the tourism sector but also in societies at large. The use of technological solutions contributes effectively to evidence-based decision making, prioritization of measures and anticipation of future scenarios, which is essential for responsible management of tourism and its impacts.

Topics such as smart destination systems for regular and timely measurement, intelligent promotion of tourist sites and digital accessibility formed part of the parallel presentations given over the three days.

"’Smart tourism’ is not a trend, but the future of tourism development," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai opening the conference. "The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 is the perfect framework to conduct such an event, as it addresses major challenges and opportunities of the tourism sector in the coming years," he added.

"Spain has not only accepted the concept of ‘smart tourism’, but it has also launched related projects and actions, such as the conversion of the island of El Hierro and other cities such as Palma into ‘smart destinations’, or the development of normative work on this topic," said State Secretary of Spain for Tourism, Matilde Asin.

"Destinations have to assume the new global framework: a complex context in which tourists’ behaviour and new technologies are changing economic structures and related policies; said the President of the Murcia region, Pedro Antonio Snchez.

Videos of the sessions and interviews

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