Page 62 - Smart tourism: A path to more secure and resilient destinations

The second phase entails implementing a digital carbon footprint management system, using
smart tags that will record the emissions of each organization (calculating the carbon footprint in
real time), feeding the digital platform that verifies and manages the information – using blockchain
technology (recently awarded the Wakalua-UNWTO Innovation Award). A certified process that
will allow individual and aggregated verification of the progress of the reduction, which can be
passed on to users at any time.

5.4.5 Impact / added value contributed

Valencia has taken concrete steps to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism. The SDGs serve as
a compass to guide Valencia towards the new paradigm; with a clear vision of becoming a safe,
sustainable and healthy destination. By applying the knowledge, experience and resources of all
the actors involved in this joint challenge to combat climate change.

5.5 La Nucía smart sports destination

5.5.1 Summary

The City Council of La Nucía wants to undertake its transformation towards Smart Tourist Destination
with a specialization in sports tourism. The key point of this project is that, for the first time, the hyper
specialization of a Smart Destination in sports takes place in the context of a Smart City project.

5.5.2 Entity, region and location

The municipality of La Nucía is in the province of Alicante, 50 km north of the capital and 150
km from Valencia. Located in the region of the Marina Baja, the municipality has a total of 18 242
inhabitants and shares borders with large tourist centres on the Costa Blanca like Benidorm, Altea,
L’Alfàs del Pí and Villajoyosa. La Nucía is a residential municipality with little tourist tradition, and
barely 851 beds. Most of its population lives in suburbs outside the downtown area, and 40 per
cent of its companies are related to the service sector.

5.5.3 Definition/explanation of the case

The City Council of La Nucía is undertaking its transformation into a Smart Tourist Destination
specializing in sports tourism. This implies a new way of selling, operating, and serving residents
and visitors, and relating to the institutional, business and social environment. La Nucía Smart
Sports Destination is a pioneering and innovative project, which relies on the power of the Camilo
Cano Sports City to consolidate these facilities as a source of prosperity and well-being for the
municipality.

52 Smart tourism: A path to more secure and resilient destinations