What is smart tourism?
In a nutshell, smart tourism embraces innovative, digital and eco-savvy approaches to travel. From regulating the flow of travellers and supporting diverse communities to making the most of virtual reality and using the latest technology to break down language barriers, it responds to old and new demands in a fast-changing industry. As hotbeds of creativity and social activity, smart tourism destinations devise solutions that benefit locals while enhancing the visitor experience. In the EU, where tourism is the third-largest socioeconomic activity, making up around 10% of the economy, several cities are ahead of the curve.
Promoting smart tourism across Europe
The European Capital of Smart Tourism initiative aims to kick-start a conversation about smart tourism by applauding forward-thinking destinations. For the past two years, it’s defined smart tourism excellence across four categories: accessibility; sustainability; digitalisation; and cultural heritage and creativity. Rather than acting strictly as a contest, the goal of this EU-wide competition — developed in 2018 by the European Union and implemented by the European Commission — is to take examples from leading smart tourism destinations and provide a platform for other cities to discover those ideas, all the while fostering cooperation. Its Compendium of Best Practices is exactly that: chock-full of success stories, the free-to-access guide to smart tourism details everything from reusable coffee cups in Karlsruhe and smart waste management in Ljubljana to forward-thinking digital initiatives, such as Helsinki’s WeChat programme, designed for Chinese tourists. In 2020, Gothenburg and Málaga were both lauded for redefining their tourism offers.
Esta historia es de la edición January/February 2021 de National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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Esta historia es de la edición January/February 2021 de National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Dianne Whelan
THOUGH NOT A SEASONED HIKER TO BEGIN WITH, THE FILMMAKER BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO COMPLETE THE WORLD'S LONGEST TRAIL NETWORK
NIGERIA
The country's many communities come together over hearty meals with plenty of heat
Katie Hale
A VOYAGE TO THE GREAT WHITE CONTINENT IS BOTH A DREAM COME TRUE AND A CALL TO ARMS, TO PROTECT OUR ICY POLES AND, IN TURN, OUR PLANET
WILTSHIRE
BEYOND THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE HAS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE ANCIENT SITES, GIANT CHALK HORSES AND COSY PUBS IN HISTORIC VILLAGES
BATH
Thermal baths and Regency heritage have put this Somerset city firmly on the travel map - and this year the spotlight will be on former resident and literary great Jane Austen, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of her birth
GRANADA
In this Andalucian city, flamenco is an art form as well as a way of life not just for traditional dancers and singers but also for hip-hop stars, classical guitar legends and street artists
India's Golden Triangle
LINKING DELHI, THE TAJ MAHAL AND THE PINK CITY OF JAIPUR, WITH DETOURS FOR TEMPLES AND TIGERS, THIS IS THE PERFECT ROUTE FOR FIRST-TIMERS. WORDS: POOJA NAIK
FORGED BY FIRE
A SUBTROPICAL ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC, MADEIRA HAS RUGGED VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS THAT RISE ABOVE THE CLOUDS, NATURAL SWIMMING POOLS DOWN AT SEA LEVEL AND MORE THAN 1,900 MILES OF HISTORIC AQUEDUCTS TRACING THE LANDSCAPES IN BETWEEN
ADRIFT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
A KAYAKING EXPEDITION THROUGH NORWAY'S LOFOTEN ISLANDS OFFERS WHITE-SAND BEACHES, ROYAL ENCOUNTERS AND THE CHANCE TO CHANNEL YOUR INNER VIKING
the RETURN
ON A PRIVATE GAME RESERVE IN SOUTH AFRICA'S KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE, AN UNLIKELY CREATURE IS MAKING A TENTATIVE COMEBACK - AND VISITORS ARE OFFERED A GLIMPSE INTO THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO SAVE IT AND OTHER NATIVE WILDLIFE
