The model Benidorm Smart Tourist Destination is analyzed by the EU by the hand of Minetad
The mayor and Visit Benidorm attend in parallel to a national day about Digital Economy and Smart Cities
The City of Benidorm is present in Geneva until next day 13 in a European meeting that analyzes the model for the development of future interoperable platforms and their functionalities for Smart Tourist Destinations. The presence of Benidorm, designated as an expert editor in the contribution made by Spain through the Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda - through the State Secretariat of Digital Agenda -, to the reference model of these platforms, puts in value the work done by the City Council when applying new technologies in the management of its services and tourism resources. A representative of the Managing Body of Benidorm-DTI attends this forum together with the Secretary of State for the Information Society and Digital Agenda (SESIAD) exposing Benidorm model that has been tested by the State Society for Innovation Management and the Tourist Technologies (Segittur) following the standard that in the future will certify the DTIs.
Benidorm has already begun to be a model to follow for other destinations and cities that want to adapt to the new digital reality. Benidorm's experience is being watched with interest because, as the mayor, Toni Pérez, has said "not only takes into account the management of its tourism resources through new technologies, but also aims to be a more inclusive city and promote automatic management of infrastructures and urban services, which will result in better management of public resources and an improvement in the quality of services. "
In parallel to that international participation in Geneva, Benidorm was also present on Tuesday at a national meeting of Digital Economy, held in Santander, where a panel discussion evaluated the reality of Smart Cities and their future prospects. The meeting was attended by the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, and the manager of the Visit Benidorm Foundation, Leire Bilbao.
This 31st Meeting of the Digital Economy and Telecommunications is entitled 'The Digital Reality of Spain', and is being developed in Santander organized by AMETIC (Association of companies of the electronics, information technologies, telecommunications and digital contents) and Banco Santander, with the collaboration of the International Menéndez Pelayo University (UIMP) and the Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda.
Benidorm has gone to this meeting as part of the policy of boosting Benidorm the first Smart Tourist Destination (DTI) nationwide, where it has been declared that "Benidorm continues to consolidate its presence in the ever demanding network of smart cities or "Smart cities" and is already an example to follow for those cities and destinations that want to incorporate the new information and communication technologies to the management of its infrastructures and its tourism industry.
Toni Pérez stressed the importance of participating in this "type of forums in the cradle of Smart Cities and maintaining institutional relations at the highest level, noting the innovation that is operating in the digital age. In our case, "he added," we focus on the Smart Cities as Smart Tourist Destination so that the application of new technologies also allow us not only to improve the management of resources and services that we offer our tourists, but also sustainable development and an increase in the quality of life of our neighbors. "