Page 68 - Smart tourism: A path to more secure and resilient destinations
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6 Conclusion
Accelerating digital transformation in the tourism sector is a priority for destination management,
especially with reference to natural resource management, heritage and culture preservation,
enhancement of social fabric and overall livability in tourism destinations. The advent of the fourth
industrial revolution and the convergence of various data streams, have provided the opportunity
to drastically metamorphise the multi-faceted domain of tourism. In the context of smart
tourism, technologically-enhanced innovations can be leveraged to improve not only inhabitant
engagement, but also drive decision-making, along with social inclusion, and delivery of citizen-
centric services. In this context, cities should also consider tourists as “temporary inhabitants” and
ensure the engagement of visitors in a holistic and fully integrated manner.
The examples elucidated in this Report highlight the importance of adopting digital technologies to
improve ease of access to local information in multiple languages along with phasing out the need
for physical currency. As is observed from the use-cases elaborated in this Report, the development
of a centralized platform for accessing information as well as services for tourists is vital for any city
seeking to build a smart tourism ecosystem and foster their transition to a smart and sustainable
city. Having such a system in place, improves ease of travel, eliminates the probability of fraud and
enriches the overall experience for tourists, thereby holding the potential for cities to promote
themselves as tourist destinations. Some of the recommendations underscored in this Report
include (but not limited to) the following:
• Tourist Destination Framework: Establishing and adhering to a specific smart tourist destination
framework and adoption of relevant international standards relating to smart tourism.
• Smart Tourism Destination Platform: Creating a central smart tourism destination platform and
management system which can provide a one-stop destination for the products and services
at the disposal of the tourists. Such a system will allow for assessing tourist behavior patterns
and enhance the overall planning process for driving smart tourism transitions.
• COVID-19 Tracing: In this post-COVID area, resumption of tourist-based activities, may lead
to concerns relating to COVID spread. Existing tourist apps on COVID-19 tracing allow for
sharing of COVID vaccination certificates under a decentralized system in which the owner of
the information is the user. With the help of such a system, coordinated detection of COVID-19
infection is feasible along with the designation of containment zones.
• Loyalty Programmes: The creation of a loyalty programme or bonus programme will help
highlight promotions, offers and services available at a specific destination through different
channels including physical or virtual tourist cards or on the smart tourism destination platform
itself.
58 Smart tourism: A path to more secure and resilient destinations