Aida García Mayor affirms that the use of technology in tourism offers us infinite possibilities to improve the competitiveness of destinations
The 'Digital Tourist' conference returns to Benidorm to address the development of the Smart Destination Platform
The 8th edition of the Digital Tourist Conference, organised by Ametic, kicked off this morning at the Cultural Centre. The conference will address the development of the Intelligent Destination Platform (IDP) and, among other topics, present the Tourism Intelligence System (TIS) of the Valencian Community.
The conference began with a virtual address by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez, who placed the event at the epicentre of tourism innovation and highlighted the role that the IDP, based in Benidorm, will play shortly, as well as the use of technology and data.
Francisco Hortigüela, president of Ametic, also noted that the IDP was announced in 2021 and "is now a reality that will allow destinations to connect and interact." However, Hortigüela has asked the government to "expand it so that more destinations can be included." In this regard, Hortigüela stated that "by working together, all parties will ensure that Spain continues to improve and remains the tourism benchmark it already is."
José Manuel Camarero, regional secretary of tourism, also placed the congress as "a major reference" and affirmed that the sector is "at a key moment" that involves "a paradigm shift that demands more responses." "And this is not an optional change, but a necessary and inevitable one," he asserted. In this regard, Camarero listed some of the "enormous challenges" that lie ahead, including intelligent management of visitor flow, ensuring coexistence between residents and tourists, and how to design the tourism model of the future. "To achieve this, we must move towards intelligent, data-driven governance," he opined. He also added that in the Valencian Community, "we are committed to this and we know that destinations are the driving force behind change."
The official opening of the Digital Tourist Program concluded with a speech by Benidorm's Councillor for Innovation and Quality, Aida García. After placing the city "at the centre of the debate on technological innovation in tourism at the highest level," she stated that the use of technology in tourism "offers us almost endless possibilities to improve the competitiveness of destinations." The councillor expressed Benidorm's confidence in the Digital Tourist Program (PID) and therefore "we work hard, always seeking maximum interconnection and participation with the sector and the best technological partners." Aida García concluded by stating that in Benidorm "we know that tourism is a source of wealth, progress, security, openness, and opportunities for all," and therefore, in her opinion, the Digital Tourist Program (PID) is presented "as a key tool to drive the digital transformation of the sector that, when combined with technology, will improve strategies, services, and results."
Following the opening, the first two panel discussions were held. The first of these was about the Tourism Intelligence System (TIS), "An initiative to activate a tourism innovation ecosystem," while the second focused on the Tourism Intelligence System (TIS) of the Valencian Community. Leire Bilbao, manager of Visit Benidorm, and Tono Franco, director of Visit Valencia; Olivia Estrella, director of Tourism Innovation at Invattur; and Gabi Quesada, technical manager of Turisme Vinarós, participated in the debate.
During the debate, the question of how the TIS will help destinations make better decisions was addressed. On this point, Leire Bilbao argued that "we need all the data; having it alone isn't enough. Having certain data, for example, for Benidorm to have certain data is very good because it will have an impact on the region, but it's not very useful for the rest." According to the manager of Visit Benidorm, "in the end, it's about finding business opportunities together to provide the best service to tourists."
Gabi Quesada, for his part, expressed his conviction that the SIT "will allow us to optimise data" and therefore, "with prior information, we will try to channel visitor flows toward the tourist resources that are in the best condition to receive tourists."
The main challenge facing the SIT of the Valencian Community was also discussed. Tono Franco emphasised "not forgetting the current situation we are living in," alluding to the fact that, at the moment, a large amount of European and state funding is being received to develop plans, "but when the money runs out, we must find new funding sources." Franco hoped "to be able to generate our data and thus not depend so much on the budget, and therefore, collaboration is a way to be efficient."
Leire Bilbao, for her part, focused the SIT's challenge on "training and use" and expressed her support for "showcasing the virtues of having this data and making it useful." She also established differences between destinations with large tourism management teams versus those with small teams. “We need to convince them that this will help them plan their destinations much better, not only in day-to-day management but also for the people who will visit them. That's why training is going to be key,” she concluded. Finally, Olivia Estrella also stated that the management of sustainability plan funds “is going to be essential” and warned that “many destinations are clear on how to integrate data, but many others still aren't.”
This panel discussion was followed by a recognition ceremony for the Autonomous Community of Cantabria and another roundtable in which leaders of digital companies from Ametic discussed current trends and the business opportunities offered by the digital industry. The last panel of the morning focused on “AI in tourist management in destinations.”
In the afternoon, the Board of Directors of the Valencian Community Smart Tourist Destinations Network will meet at 4:00 p.m. The next panel discussion will follow, entitled "Digital Twins Arrive in Smart Destinations." The day concludes with the final panel discussion on "Tourism Innovation Centres," featuring Aida García Mayor, Councillor for Innovation of Benidorm City Council, and the presentation of the Digital Tourist Awards.
