Tourism is typically one of the main components of economic growth for communities around the world, but the pandemic has hit the sector hard, which has been forced to find new ways to recover from this setback through tourist destinations. smart .
What is smart tourism?
At this time, more than ever, it is important for the tourism sector to think differently and embrace innovation to cope with the inevitable influx of visitors. Innovations and initiatives are on the rise in smart travel destinations. But what exactly is smart tourism?
According to the European Capital Initiative for Smart Tourism, a smart tourism destination is:
“A destination that facilitates access to tourism and hospitality products, services, spaces and experiences through ICT-based tools . It is a healthy social and cultural environment, which can be found through a focus on the social and human capital of the city. It also implements innovative and intelligent solutions and encourages the development of entrepreneurial businesses and their interconnection “
Founded in 2019, the European Capital of Smart Tourism is an initiative that aims to raise awareness about smart tourism tools, measures and projects implemented in cities in four categories: sustainability, accessibility, digitization and cultural heritage and creativity . In 2019 and 2020, two European cities were named European Capital of Smart Tourism and four cities have been awarded in one of the four mentioned categories.
Smart tourism plays a vital role in the development of smart cities , as initiatives to attract tourists can lead to a significant increase in people and cars even in the smallest cities. This, in turn, greatly affects the traffic in the location in question, with more and more people searching for parking spaces.
The average tourist aims to park his vehicle in the city center or as close as possible to the main tourist attractions, such as beaches or ski resorts. Traffic not only increases congestion and traffic hazards, it also affects the quality of life for residents and visitors alike . Innovative parking solutions can remedy the situation and greatly enhance the smart tourism experience.
The best smart tourist destinations in Europe
There are several cities in Europe that have already been commended by the European Capital Smart Tourism Initiative for their smart approach to tourism. When you want to travel, one of these 3 smart travel destinations should be high on your list:
Gothenburg
Gothenburg was named European Capital of Smart Tourism in 2020 and winner of the European Capital of Smart Tourism Award in the same year in the category of Sustainability . According to the European Capital Initiative for Smart Tourism, the city has implemented far-reaching measures to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the city.
The recently launched Smart Map encourages citizen participation by bringing together all the places you can rent, exchange, borrow, share, give and get in Gothenburg . For its part, the Min Stad is a 3D city model that developers, architects and planners can use to conduct public consultations, anticipate the impact of future development, and make better-informed decisions .
Gothenburg bases 60% of its district heating on waste / recycled heat . In this city, 90% of all buildings are heated by district heating, while the corresponding figure for the EU average is 12%. The city pioneered green bond issuance and was one of the first places to set consumption-based emissions targets.
92% of the city’s hotels and 100% of meeting facilities are now environmentally certified and events taking place in the city benefit from the “Event Impact Calculator” . It is a tool that has emerged as a result of local scientific and technological associations that predicts the potential environmental impact and supports organizers in evaluating events from an economic, social and environmental point of view.
Due to these new initiatives promoted during the last three years, Gothenburg has been named one of the most sustainable smart tourism destinations in the world by the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
Malaga
Malaga was named European Capital of Smart Tourism in 2020 and winner of the European Capital of Smart Tourism Award in 2019 in the Accessibility category .
Malaga has been awarded by the European Capital Initiative for Smart Tourism because it has been incorporating the concepts of sustainability, innovation and culture into its strategic plans for many years .
There is a constant exchange between visitors and government tourism services so that Malaga can do more to meet the needs of visitors. In terms of sustainability, the city works across the board: it has installed LED public lighting, offers more than 20 bike rental stations, and has created bike lanes that now total more than 40 km .
New smart irrigation systems for parks and gardens have also been installed in the city in order to save water and it has introduced a Sectorial Air Quality Plan to reduce air pollution , control pollen levels and improve noise quality. . Cleaning equipment has also been improved and they have worked on better recycling of waste in the city center. Malaga has a fully adapted bus network , wide pedestrian areas including the renovated Alameda Principal, in addition, 50% of Malaga taxis have been renovated .
Digitization is also an essential part of the tourist experience in Malaga and the city has a high-profile digital sector , with facilities such as the Polo Digital de la Tabacalera and the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía (PTA). During the last 15 years, the city has been transformed into the “City of Museums” with more than 30 museums to visit.
Breda
The city of Breda, located in the Netherlands, was named the winner of the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2020 award in the category of Accessibility .
Examples of initiatives carried out in this city include the use of technology and ICT to improve the visiting experience and measure those results . For example, animations are used to illuminate iconic buildings in the city , such as Spanjaardsgat and Breda Castle. In addition, sustainable LED lighting puts places like Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk and Willemstraat , Breda’s smartest street, in the spotlight.
Sustainable projects have also been carried out in 2020, focusing on the smart experience, maximum accessibility and hospitality during the Tour of the Netherlands . In which a special stand was installed for people with disabilities and route maps in Braille for the blind. The Tour of Holland was the living laboratory for testing new digital technologies for flow, crowd management and digital experiences.
