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UN Tourism works to provide guidance and share good practices on policies and governance models aimed to effectively support the tourism sector at the different levels: national, regional and local.

The development and management of tourism destinations requires a holistic approach to policy and governance.

Governance has two specific dimensions:

• Directive capacity of government , determined by coordination and collaboration as well as by the participation of networks of stakeholders.
• Directive effectiveness, determined by institutional skills and resources that support the ways in which processes are conducted to define goals and search for solutions and opportunities for relevant stakeholders, and by the provision of tools and means for their joint execution.

In this sense, UN Tourism works to support its Members in their efforts to develop efficient governance models / structures and policies, focusing  among others on:

• Tourism policy and strategic planning
• Governance and vertical cooperation, i.e. national-regional-local levels
• Public Private Partnership (PPP)

Destination Management

Destination management consists of the coordinated management of all the elements that make up a tourism destination. Destination management takes a strategic approach to link-up these sometimes very separate elements for the better management of the destination. Joined up management can help to avoid overlapping functions and duplication of effort with regards to promotion, visitor services, training, business support and identify any management gaps that are not being addressed.

Destination management calls for a coalition of many organizations and interests working towards a common goal, ultimately being the assurance of the competitiveness and sustainability of the tourism destination. The Destination Management Organization’s (DMO) role should be to lead and coordinate activities under a coherent strategy in pursuit of this common goal.

Though DMOs have typically undertaken marketing activities, their remit is becoming far broader, to become a strategic leader in destination development. This is a vital ingredient for success in every tourism destination and many destinations now have DMOs to lead the way.

From a traditionally marketing and promotion focus the trend is to become leading organizations with a broader mandate which includes strategic planning, coordination and management of activities within an adequate governance structure with the integration of different stakeholders operating in the destination under a common goal. Destinations wherein such an organization is not still in place are increasingly creating or plan to create a DMO as the organizational entity to lead the way.

UN Tourism has identified three areas of key performance in destination management at DMO level: Strategic Leadership, Effective Implementation and Efficient Governance.

UN Tourism supports its Members and Destination Management/Marketing Organizations through the UN Tourism.QUEST - a DMO Certification System. UN Tourism.QUEST  promotes quality and excellence in DMOs planning, management and governance of tourism, by means of capacity building. UN Tourism.QUEST Certification evaluates the three areas of key performance in destination management at DMO level: Strategic Leadership, Effective Implementation and Efficient Governance. With a training and capacity building component, UN Tourism.QUEST is a strategic tool which allows the DMOs to implement an improvement plan to achieve the criteria and standards of the Certification with the aim of enhancing their management processes and thus contribute to the competitiveness and sustainability of the destinations they represent.

Events & Publications

• International Seminar on Destination Management
• 2nd Conference on Destination Management in the Mediterranean
• 6th International Conference on Destination Management

UN Tourism Guidelines for Institutional Strengthening of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) – Preparing DMOs for new challenges

Many factors account for the increased focus on effective destination management, all of them urging destination management organizations (DMOs) to face and adapt to new challenges. From traditional marketing and promotion boards the trend is for these entities to increasingly enlarge their scope to become all embracing DMOs, aiming to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of destinations within a harmonious relationship between the residents and visitors.

Competitiveness Committee (CTC)

The Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness (CTC) is one of the technical committees of the UN Tourism and it is a subsidiary organ of the Executive Council . The Committee was established at the 95th session of the Executive Council in Belgrade, Serbia in May 2013 (CE/DEC/7(XCV). Its Rules of Procedure and the composition were approved by the Executive Council at its 96th session (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, August 2013) (CE/DEC/9(XCVI). 

Since its establishment in 2013, CTC focused its work mainly on assessing the state of knowledge on the basic concept of “ tourism competitiveness ” and identifying its key factors . This process has also included identifying, developing and harmonizing concepts, models and operational definitions used in the tourism value chain .

Work priorities

(a) To support the Organization in fulfilling its normative role;

(b) To provide a dialogue mechanism between the public and private tourism stakeholders and academia to give guide in building and strengthening tourism competitiveness policies and strategies; and

(c) To build synergies and strategic alignments in the harmonization of the related activities of the Secretariat as well as other collaborating organizations/entities in order to ensure consistency and consensus in the delivery of the outputs and reinforce the official position of the Organization. 

Provide UNWTO Members and other tourism stakeholders with a comprehensive and concise, operational, applicable and globally relevant conceptual framework to set the scene and contribute to establish a common ground for a clear harmonized understanding of:

i) concepts, models and operational definitions used in the tourism value chain;

ii) the quantitative and qualitative factors that explain competitiveness at the destination level which may be translated into technical guidelines facilitating a methodology for destinations to identify and evaluate their own factors of competitiveness. 

As an outcome of the work of the CTC, the 22 nd Session of the General Assembly held in Chengdu, China (11-16 September 2017) adopted as Recommendations  key  definitions.  Along with these definitions the Committee also focused on identifying the key quantitative and qualitative factors for “tourism competitiveness ” under two categories: i) governance, management and market dynamics, and ii) destination appeal, attractors, products and supply. 

Full list of definitions adopted by the 22 nd  Session of the General Assembly held in Chengdu, China (11-16 September 2017)

As part of the work of the UNWTO Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness (CTC) in its mandate for the period 2015-2019 prepared a paper on " Tourism Policy and Strategic Planning " which delves into this factor for tourism competitiveness. This paper (available below in pdf) aims to:

• Provide UNWTO Members with a comprehensive understanding on national tourism policies and contribute to their successful formulation and implementation;
• Explore key areas which need to be addressed in tourism policy and strategic planning in order to ensure the competitiveness and sustainable development of tourism;
• Assess the key areas addressed by UNWTO Members in their tourism policies and provide case studies to illustrate key elements of a sound tourism policy; and
• Serve as a practical tool for UNWTO Members and tourism policymakers by including a set of recommendations.

Composition of the CTC (2019-2023)

Full Members 

Bahamas Bahrain Brazil Fiji (Vice-chair) India Israel Kenya Republic of Moldova Senegal (Chair)

Representative of the Associate Members Macao, China (2019-2021) Puerto Rico (2021-2023)

Representative of the Affiliate Members  FITUR, Spain (2019-2021) Asociación Empresarial hotelera de Madrid (AEHM), Spain (2021-2023)

Meetings of the CTC:

1st Meeting: 25 August, 2013, Victoria Falls, Zambia /Zimbabwe (during 20th UN Tourism General Assembly) 1st Virtual Meeting: 27 March, 2014 2nd Virtual Meeting: 3 July, 2014 3rd Virtual Meeting: 22 October, 2014 2nd Meeting: 28 January, 2015, Madrid, Spain 3rd Meeting: 13 September, 2015, Medellin, Colombia (during 21st UN Tourism General Assembly) 4th Meeting: 22 January, 2016, Madrid, Spain 4th Virtual Meeting: 21 April, 2016 5th Meeting: 20 January, 2017, Madrid, Spain 5th Virtual Meeting: 2 March, 2017 6th Meeting: 11 September, 2017, Chengdu, China (during 22nd UN Tourism General Assembly) 7th Meeting: 19 January, 2018, Madrid, Spain 8th Meeting: 10 September 2019, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation (during 23rd UN Tourism General Assembly) 9th Meeting: 24 January, 2020, Madrid, Spain 10th Virtual Meeting: 30 July 2020 11th CTC Meeting: 30 November 2021, Madrid, Spain (during the 24th UN Tourism General Assembly) 12th Virtual Meeting: 12 September, 2022

11th CTC Meeting: 30 November 2021, Madrid, Spain

During the 24th un tourism general assembly.

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• Position Paper on Tourism Policyand Strategic Planning
• UN Tourism Tourism Definitions
• Composition of the Committee on tourism and competitiveness

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This entry firstly suggests a workable definition for the Smart Tourism Management Framework. Secondly, it presents the key elements of this ST management framework at destination level. It is completed by outlining the current state of academic research in this field and suggesting directions for future research endeavours.

1. Introduction

Technology has been developing at an unprecedented pace, which fundamentally changes and will continue to change our way of life. In recent years we have witnessed the convergence between the physical and digital worlds supported by sensors that collect data arising from mutual interactions between tourists and destinations. Smart tourism (ST) is one of the exciting technology applications that are shaping the current and future landscape [ 1 ] [ 2 ] . The advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in general, and cloud computing technologies in particular, motivates tourism destinations and suppliers to leverage smart technologies to optimize their decision-making in business planning and enhance the tourism experience. ST refers to the burgeoning phenomenon of the application of ICTs for developing innovative tools and approaches to improve tourism [ 3 ] .

The concept of ST was inspired by IBM’s ‘Smarter Planet’ and ‘Smarter City’ and has emerged as a result of the rise of ICTs and the need for sustainability [ 2 ] . Smart technologies trigger innovation and leads to higher competitiveness, while ensuring sustainable development. Destinations and businesses from around the globe are collaborating to provide smart experiences to tourists [ 1 ] [ 4 ] . For instance, in 2019 European Union has launched a brand-new initiative ‘European Capital of Smart Tourism’. This initiative rewards European cities and gives them the opportunity to share their exemplary practices as smart tourism destinations (STDs). For the purpose of this initiative, a STD is defined as a destination facilitating access to tourism and hospitality products, services, spaces and experiences through ICT-based tools. Furthermore, a STD is a healthy social and cultural environment, which can be found through a focus on the city’s social and human capital [ 5 ] .

Scholars suggest that ST is an ecosystem, formed by a smart business network, smart destinations and a smart technologies infrastructure. This ecosystem creates benefits for the whole system and for each individual. The principles of ST lie at enhancing tourism experiences, improve the efficiency of resource management, maximize destination competitiveness with an emphasis on sustainable aspects [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] . Gretzel et al. [ 8 ] suggest the following comprehensive and robust definition of ST: “a tourism supported by integrated efforts at a destination to collect and aggregate/harness data derived from physical infrastructure, social connections, government/organizational sources and human bodies/minds in combination with the use of advanced technologies to transform that data into on-site experiences and business value-propositions with a clear focus on efficiency, sustainability and experience enrichment.” (p. 181).

From technological perspective, Gretzel et al. [ 9 ] argue that ST refers to the competitive advantage resulting from “using a  range  of  smart  technologies,  such  as  sensors, beacons, mobile phone apps, radio-frequency identification (RFID), near-field communication (NFC), smart meters, the Internet-of-Things (IoT), cloud computing, relational  databases,  etc.,  that  together  form  a  smart  digital  ecosystem  that  fosters  data-driven  innovations  and  supports  new  business  models.”  (p.173). Femenia-Serra et al. [ 10 ] have the opinion that “ST and STDs are new frameworks within which to understand the impact the latest ICTs have on the relationship between businesses, destinations and tourists” (p. 109). Literature also suggests that the appropriate adoption and adequate uses of management methods and tools significantly contribute to achieving sustainable management of tourism resources, which constitutes one of the main aims of smartness [ 4 ] [ 8 ] [ 11 ] .

Based on the above brief discussion on ST, this article suggests the following workable definition for the Smart Tourism Management Framework : “It is a comprehensive and holistic set of approaches, methods and tools from the discipline of management that destinations and other stakeholders should adopt and implement to attain the aims and objectives of smart tourism paradigm at both macro and micro levels”. The following sections presents the key elements of this ST management framework at destination level.

2. Main Actors/Elements of a Smart Tourism Destination

The ST management framework has rapidly become a leading stream of literature [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 7 ] .  Academic research is lately interested in the field and explores the related dimensions, issues and aspects. According to Gretzel et al. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] any destination can be a STD if it consists of the two pillars: Soft smartness (that includes collaborations, innovation, and leadership), and Hard smartness (that refers to all the technological infrastructure). However, the availability of any of the two pillars does not make a destination smart. It depends on the availability of hard smartness which enables improvement of human capital and smart decisions based on the application of technology and infrastructure. Hence, ST requires the following attributes: Technology embedded environments, responsive processes at micro and macro levels, end-user devices, and stakeholders that actively use smart platforms.

The strategic goal of every STD should be to enhance smart tourists to become co-creators of sustainable tourism experiences and co-managers of tourism resources in the sustainable management of tourism assets and resources at the destination [ 11 ] . Therefore, the key challenge is how can STDs make tourists co-managers, co-designers and co-creators of tourism experiences. This section outlines the three main elements of ST framework, starting with the smart tourists.

2.1. Smart Tourists

The tourists themselves are one centrepiece of the ST ecosystem, as it has been pointed out by Femenia-Serra et al. [ 10 ] . Since last decade, tourist behaviour has undergone a significant transformation because of consumers’ use of ICTs for tourist purposes. The advances in ICTs have evolved very quickly with the rapid emergence of user-generated content (UGC) and SM [ 12 ] [ 13 ] , the rise of smartphones [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] , context and location-aware services [ 17 ] , and their impact of on experiences [ 18 ] [ 19 ] . Tourists have become more active, independent, informed and skilled, and have discovered new ways of planning, interacting, evaluating, sharing and recommending. The implications of these changes have shaped a digital tourist [ 14 ] [ 18 ] . These cutting-edge technologies, the expansion of the IoT, ubiquitous connectedness, the big data analytics and the widespread adoption of mobile devices have introduced new factors, such as real-time interaction and ubiquitous connectedness [ 19 ] [ 20 ] , new types of technology-mediated social connections, or superior levels of context-awareness [ 15 ] [ 21 ] .

Based on identified technology-related factors influencing the tourist in the ST context, the study by Femenia-Serra et al. [ 10 ] defines the smart tourist as: “The tourist who, by being open to sharing his or her data and making use of smart technologies, interacts dynamically with other stakeholders, co-creating in this way an enhanced and personalized smart experience. This tourist is open to innovations, social and pro-active and finds his or her natural environment in the smart tourism ecosystem and the smart destination.” (p. 125). The same authors indicate that (i) the role of smart tourists is crucial; (ii) their behaviors answer to more profound motivations and values, socioeconomic/psychographic traits, life cycle stage and other variables which need to be addressed in detail; and (iii) the smart tourists’ behaviors have become a driving force for the development of STDs. They also call for a broader empirical research to further comprehend tourists in the smart paradigm.

The consumption behaviour of tourists is known as a travel cycle/tourist journey and has several stages (e.g., information search, planning, booking, visiting, and post-consumption evaluation). All stages are important in terms of smart technologies. An interesting study was performed by Gajdosik [ 22 ] approaching and analysing smart tourists as a market segment. Author implements a two-step cluster analysis, analysing the characteristics and tourism behaviour of the ST market segment. This segment differentiates in all travel cycle phases. Therefore, management organizations of STDs should create value proposition during all travel cycle stages based on personalization and experience enrichment.

Tourists’ role and experiences mediated by ICTs are decisive in STDs, and consequently they have to be properly managed in order to attain aims. The strategic goal of every STD should be to enhance smart tourists to change their attitude and adopt a more responsible behaviour. The strategic aim is not about how to better manage tourists; it is rather how can STDs make tourists co-managers, co-designers and co-creators of tourism experiences [ 6 ] [ 11 ] . Therefore, the ST technologies are the tool/medium of achieving that aim.

2.2. Smart Technologies

The concept of ‘smart technologies’ encompasses new forms of cooperation and value creation technologies [ 4 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 23 ] . It is worth noticing that ‘smart’ is not the advance of a single technology, but the interconnection and collaborative progress/advance of various technologies simultaneously. Smart technologies include a variety of computing and information technologies, as depicted in Table 1.

Table 1. Smart Technologies: Form and short description

Source: In Shen et al [ 24 ] based on various sources [ 25 ] [ 26 ] [ 27 ] [ 28 ] [ 29 ] .

These technologies provide real-time connection and advanced analysis of the physical world, helping companies/organizations to optimize business processes and improve their performance [ 25 ] [ 26 ] . STTs are technological media that tourist consumers use at all phases of their stages of decision-making process and customer journey [ 24 ] [ 26 ] [ 27 ] . These technologies enable tourism destinations and suppliers to acquire better knowledge and understanding of tourists’ needs and to improve their resource/asset management and performance. They also create value for tourist consumers and assist them in making the right decisions through their experience [ 25 ] [ 28 ] . In this regard, STTs provide a significant potential for co-creation of experiences at both destination and business levels [ 29 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] .

2.3. Smart Tourism Businesses

Smart tourism businesses are the suppliers of tourism services and value propositions/experience opportunities within the ST ecosystem; in simple terms, suppliers that are adopting and making efficient use of smart technologies. Literature suggests that these technologies have the potential to contribute to asset management and business efficiency improvement and value co-creation [ 17 ] [ 22 ] [ 31 ] . Smart technologies help tourism businesses and other stakeholders to break through the limitations of traditional data analysis, process huge amounts of data, and produce meaningful and valuable information [ 32 ] , expand consumers’ social intelligence, improve the quality of the interpersonal communication, and make SM more intelligent and effective [ 31 ] [ 32 ] .

Literature also indicates that smart technologies promote the resource allocation and cooperation between suppliers/firms and improve the quality of tourism experience [ 33 ] . According to these authors [ 33 ] , the design of smart tourist attraction depends on the integration of these two dimensions. Smart businesses can benefit from big data analysis. When the concept of smartness is applied to the design, management, and operation of tourist attractions, it means that these tourism businesses have moved from the concept to practice [ 34 ] . Their strategic aim should be to enhance the co-creation of tourist experiences and to improve the resource management efficiency [ 33 ] [ 35 ] . Only a few studies were performed in this field from a supply/destination perspective, with a specific focus on the interrelation between tourism destinations and smart tourists and the impact of smart services on tourism experiences.

A number of studies explored this topic from the technology perspective. Smart environments are exploited to rejuvenate consumers’ interest in the cultural heritage by guaranteeing really interactive cultural experiences [ 36 ] . Hereafter are outlined some studies analysing projects/initiatives that were designed and are taking place in other countries, especially in Italy. The paper by Ceipidor et al. [ 37 ] presents the design of a mobile multimedia guide for the visitors of the Wolfsoniana Museum, Genoa, Italy. Their study is based on the assumption that the visitor experience could become more interactive and engaging through a mobile application implementing along with smart technologies. Authors discuss an application of Usability and User Experience (UX) of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology applied to the cultural tourism field. Another study by Chianese et al. [ 38 ] outlines and discusses a location-based application, called ‘Smartweed’, developed within a high technology district for cultural heritage management. The project was aiming at exploiting several location-based services and technologies to craft a smart multimedia guide system able to detect the closest artworks to visitors, make them able to ‘tweet’ and ‘talk’ during their visit and be capable of automatically telling their stories using multimedia facilities. Moreover, the project deployed some sensors that allow the visitors’ mobile devices—by using Wi-Fi technology—to detect the closest artwork in a museum context. The study by Amato et al. [ 39 ] presents a project, named Talking Museum and developed within the same technology district (cultural heritage management). The project exploits the IoT technologies in order to make objects of a museum exhibition able to “talk” during the customer’s visit and capable of automatically telling their story using multimedia facilities. As a case study, these authors used an example of a talking museum as a smart guide of sculptures’ art exhibition within the Maschio Angioino Castle, Naples, Italy. The final outcome of both projects should be the facilitation and increased stimulation of visits.

The study by Alletto et al. [ 36 ] discusses the design and validation of an indoor location-aware architecture able to enhance the visit experience in a museum. In particular, the proposed system relies on a wearable device that combines image recognition and localization capabilities to automatically provide the visitors with cultural content related to the observed artworks. The smart infrastructure provides localization information, and the system interacts with the cloud to store multimedia content produced/shared by visitors. All the above-mentioned studies illustrate the valuable contribution and utility of smart technologies in making customer journeys more interesting and memorable.

The study by Wang et al [ 40 ] is the only one that addressed the issue of evaluation in the context of smart tourist attractions. It takes a consumer perspective and performs a quantitative evaluation of these attractions by identifying tourist preferences and measuring the strengths and weaknesses of a smart attraction. Their study identified the important aspects tourists consider when evaluating a smart tourist attraction and suggested a set of 28 key evaluation items. These attributes were grouped into eight categories, namely: ‘smart information system’, ‘intelligent tourism management’, ‘smart sightseeing’, ‘e-commerce system’, ‘smart safety’, ‘intelligent traffic’, ‘smart forecast’ and ‘virtual tourist attraction’. Their study [ 40 ] is a valuable contribution in the sense that it suggests a quantitative evaluation based on tourists’ preferences. They point out the imperative for smart tourism projects to have a tourist-centric approach. Thus, tourist attractions should make an optimal use of smart tourism facilities by offering the right smart tourism devices and services that suit tourist preference in the right context and at the right time. The main challenge and key strategic management and marketing aim is to implement smartness in such a way to offer the adequate services and value propositions.

In the same vein, the study by Shen et al. 2020 [ 24 ] indicates that there is an imperative for tourist attractions to follow the technological advances and incorporate smart tourism technologies in their management functions for a series of reasons, mainly: (i) To achieve better efficiency and effectiveness in terms of operations and performance; (ii) to become more attractive in terms of offering value propositions, and (iii) to attain a competitive advantage in the market.

The above discussion highlights the key elements of the ST management framework and points out that there is a need for more conceptual and empirical research in the field of ST management framework to apprehend the tourist consumer behaviour in general, and the influence of smart technologies on consumers’ experience in specific contexts and settings in particular.

3. Current state of academic research

Nowadays, smartness and smart management of tourism destinations and suppliers are becoming a top priority and big challenge. As already highlighted, a key strategic aim of tourism destinations within the ST paradigm is to achieve efficient, responsible and sustainable use of tourism resources. Inevitably, the growth of ST phenomenon has attracted attention from scholars. Over the last five years, this field has attracted academic interest, with scholars attempting to explore related elements, issues, and aspects [ 42 ] . ST is a hot topic that has been gaining attention from academics, the main elements of this research stream are outlined below.

ST is integrated into the idea of service co-creation under Service-Dominant logic (SDL) [ 3 ] . The prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT), mobile applications, location-based services, geo-tag services, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR),  SM, and smart devices offers immense opportunities for tourism stakeholders to generate, store, and retrieve big data that serve various purposes. Examples of these applications include tourist experience enhancement, destination competitiveness, and sustainability improvement. Ye et al 2020 [ 3 ] conducted a systematic review of 124 related articles on ST and identified ten categories of related articles.  The review’s results show that the largest proportion focus on the influence of technology on tourists’ perceptions, behaviours and experiences. The topics of technology and tourist behavior, perception and experience constituted nearly 40 per cent of all publications, followed by technology adoption, which reflected that the research emphasis on how ST affects individuals remains a top priority. The topic ‘Technology and tourists’ experience’ includes studies related to the effect of technology on tourists’ experience.

The study by Shen et al. 2020 [ 11 ] argues that STDs should manage their resources in a sustainable way and that smart technologies can make their contribution. Their study’s findings indicate that the use of social networking sites influences smart tourists at all three stages of tourism experience (before, during and after) on adoption of sustainable and responsible behaviour, the most significant influence is at the first two stages. The second study by Shen et al 2020 [ 24 ] takes a consumer behaviour perspective with a specific focus on the visit cycle (prospective, active, and reflective phases), based on the theoretical foundations of ‘customer journey’ model. The study focuses on tourist attractions with the aim at exploring how smart technologies influence the customer journey. This investigation allows us to get insights into consumer behaviour, which is useful for tourist attraction to become ‘smarter’. The study’s findings indicate that smart technologies have an influence on the customer journey at all three phases, the most significant being at the prospective and active phases, without neglecting the reflective one . It is worth pointing out that early studies tended to focus more on technologies and devices.

Ye et al [ 3 ] indicate that since 2017 a shift toward big data analytics, experiential marketing, and service innovation was found. Despite the proliferation of the pertinent literature, the research development in this realm is still at its infancy. It is believed that ST will experience remarkable growth in decades to come [ 3 ] [ 41 ] .

Sotiriadis [ 41 ] suggests that the leading researchers in the area of ST are (in alphabetical order): Namho Chunge, Francisco Femenia-Serra, Ulrike Gretzel, Chulmo Koo, Barbara Neuhofer, and Zheng Xiang. Regarding the theories used, some scholars viewed ST initiatives through the SDL, which appears to be an important theoretical foundation for understanding the implications of ST. In addition, existing behavioural models such as the Technology Acceptance Model, Theory of Planned Behaviour , and Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model were used as theoretical foundations to examine tourist behaviours of ST. Methods used were varied and ranged from case study, conceptual paper, to methodology/technology-driven research and behavioural model building study [ 3 ] .

A large number of themes and approaches has enriched current research into the close links between ICTs and tourism in the recent years. However, topics are still in infancy. Future research initiatives could consider some pathways/directions. Sotiriadis [ 41 ] argues that the potential for future research could be classified into two main realms: Consumer behaviour and Technological developments/advances, obviously the two domains are closely interrelated and interconnected. Tourism and travel are witnessing a consumer revolution, enhanced mainly by the technological advances. The combination of mobile devices, big data and AI and other enabling technologies is set to revolutionize the consumer experience [ 42 ] . A new world, driven by consumer expectations influenced by mobile virtual assistants, chatbots interacting with SM conversations among friends and peers, and making suggestions, VR and AR replacing/substituting physical experiences [ 43 ] . Research is necessary in profiling the future tourist consumer, motivations and influences. These developments require more holistic and all-encompassing approaches in terms of academic research. A better understanding of ST demand, more academic initiatives should be dedicated to elucidate tourist preferences of ST [ 3 ] [ 41 ] .

Moreover, the evolution of technology and its applications to tourism and travel are very fast-moving. SM and other Web 2.0 platforms have become extremely important in the digital and smart tourism domain and have considerable effects on tourist consumers. This research realm offers potential of future endeavours in terms of interaction and engagement, co-creation of experiences and in terms of various mediating factors such as generations and user contexts [ 41 ] .  The effects of ST on tourists should be explored carefully. Prior research mainly focused on the positive consequences brought by ST. Studies are equally needed to verify ST’s potential positive and negative effects on an individual’s fundamental psychological state, well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, happiness, and loneliness), and behavioural changes in social life. Scholars may consider contextual and psychological moderators that may contribute to a deep understanding of the effects. Additionally, the potential negative effects of ST on tourists (i.e. alienation, authenticity, and customer’s privacy protection) should receive more academic attention and be further investigated [ 3 ] .

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What are the three 3 sustainable tourism planning frameworks?

1. how can destinations apply the global sustainable tourism council (gstc) criteria, 2. is the triple bottom line approach more suitable for large-scale destinations, 3. how can the destination stewardship model (dsm) benefit destinations, 4. are there any examples of destinations successfully implementing these sustainable tourism planning frameworks, 5. how can communities get involved in sustainable tourism planning, 6. can sustainable tourism planning contribute to economic growth, 7. how can destination managers measure the success of sustainable tourism planning, 8. are there any challenges associated with implementing sustainable tourism planning frameworks, 9. can sustainable tourism planning contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage, 10. are there any future trends or innovations in sustainable tourism planning, what are the three sustainable tourism planning frameworks.

Sustainable tourism planning is crucial for creating a future where tourism can thrive while minimizing negative social, economic, and environmental impacts. There are three main sustainable tourism planning frameworks that provide guidance and strategies to achieve this balance. These frameworks are developed by various international organizations and offer valuable tools for destination managers, policymakers, and stakeholders to make informed decisions.

The first sustainable tourism planning framework is the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria . These criteria serve as a global baseline for sustainable destination management. They focus on four key pillars: sustainable management, socio-economic impacts, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts. By adhering to these criteria, destinations can ensure responsible tourism practices that benefit local communities and protect natural resources. The GSTC Criteria aim to assist destinations in implementing sustainable tourism practices and certifying their efforts through recognised certification programs.

Another important framework is the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach. This framework considers the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in tourism. The TBL approach encourages destinations to evaluate their impact based on these three pillars. Economic aspects include promoting local businesses, job creation, and economic benefits for the community. Social dimensions involve preserving cultural heritage, respecting human rights, and enhancing local well-being. Environmental considerations focus on protecting ecosystems, reducing pollution, and minimizing resource consumption. This holistic approach ensures a comprehensive evaluation of sustainability at the destination level.

The final sustainable tourism planning framework is the Destination Stewardship Model (DSM) . Developed by the National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, the DSM emphasizes the importance of destination management and long-term stewardship. This framework recognizes that destinations are complex systems requiring active management and collaboration among stakeholders. The DSM assists destinations in assessing their current status, identifying goals, and creating action plans. It encourages sustainable practices, community involvement, and effective governance to shape a positive future for tourism.

Destinations can apply the GSTC Criteria by conducting a self-assessment of their tourism activities. They can evaluate their management practices, socio-economic impacts, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts. The criteria provide a framework for identifying areas of improvement and developing strategies for sustainable tourism development.

No, the Triple Bottom Line approach is relevant for destinations of all sizes. It encourages destinations to evaluate their sustainability performance based on economic, social, and environmental aspects. This framework can be adapted to the specific characteristics and needs of each destination, regardless of its scale.

The DSM can benefit destinations by providing a structured framework for destination management and long-term stewardship. It helps destinations assess their current situation, set goals, and create action plans. The DSM promotes sustainable practices, community involvement, and effective governance, which ultimately contribute to the long-term success and resilience of destinations.

Yes, there are numerous examples of destinations successfully implementing these frameworks. For instance, the city of Copenhagen in Denmark has been recognized for its commitment to sustainable tourism by adhering to the GSTC Criteria. The destination has implemented strategies to minimize environmental impacts, improve public transportation, and engage with local communities. Similarly, Costa Rica has used the Triple Bottom Line approach to develop its ecotourism industry, focusing on protecting biodiversity, supporting local communities, and fostering economic growth. These examples highlight the positive outcomes of sustainable tourism planning frameworks.

Communities can get involved in sustainable tourism planning by actively participating in decision-making processes, engaging with tourism stakeholders, and voicing their concerns and aspirations. Their involvement ensures that tourism development aligns with local needs and values. Community-based tourism initiatives and partnerships between local communities and tourism operators can also empower communities to manage and benefit from tourism in a sustainable manner.

Yes, sustainable tourism planning can contribute to economic growth. By adopting responsible tourism practices, destinations can attract environmentally and socially conscious travelers, resulting in increased visitor spending and job creation. Additionally, sustainable tourism planning often promotes the development of local businesses, contributing to the diversification of the economy and reducing dependence on a single sector.

Destination managers can measure the success of sustainable tourism planning by using key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with the chosen frameworks. For example, KPIs related to the GSTC Criteria could measure improvements in waste management, community engagement, or biodiversity conservation. Similarly, the TBL approach could involve tracking economic indicators such as tourism revenue distribution, social indicators such as local employment rates, and environmental indicators like carbon emissions reduction.

Yes, there can be challenges associated with implementing sustainable tourism planning frameworks. These challenges include limited resources for capacity building, resistance to change, conflicting interests among stakeholders, and difficulties in monitoring and enforcement. Overcoming these challenges requires strong leadership, collaboration, and continuous evaluation and adaptation of strategies.

Yes, sustainable tourism planning can contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage. By incorporating cultural impact assessments and developing strategies to protect and promote cultural heritage, destinations can ensure that tourism activities respect local traditions, customs, and artifacts. This not only preserves cultural heritage for future generations but also enhances the authenticity and uniqueness of the destination, attracting culturally curious travelers.

Yes, sustainable tourism planning is continuously evolving, and there are several future trends and innovations. These include the integration of technology, data-driven decision-making, the rise of smart and sustainable cities, and the development of sustainable tourism certification programs. Additionally, there is an increasing focus on community-based tourism, experiential tourism, and regenerative tourism, which aim to create positive impacts on both the environment and local communities.

These are just a few frequently asked questions related to the three sustainable tourism planning frameworks. By adopting these frameworks and addressing common concerns and challenges, destinations can strive towards a more sustainable and responsible tourism industry.

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Purdue’s online master’s in hospitality and tourism management updates curriculum to prepare service professionals for success in a wide range of industries 

According to The Atlantic, the United States is in the midst of a paradigm shift – our economy, which was once driven by manufacturing, is now dominated by the services sector . This sector, which encompasses a wide range of businesses and industries that provide services to consumers, now accounts for over 70% of the United States’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Industries included in the services sector include financial service providers, the technology industry, media and entertainment, as well as food, hospitality and tourism. Increasingly, most jobs have a service component, and possessing strong service skills can help professionals succeed in a variety of different roles. 

Purdue University is a global leader in training engineers, and the school’s White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) is no different – expanding Purdue’s engineering legacy to “experience engineering.” Through the school’s top-ranked online Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management , professionals from many different service sectors can get hands-on training focused on the latest trends and techniques in service management and prepare themselves for leadership roles in a variety of industries.  

As a leader in training experience engineers, Purdue’s online HTM program focuses on helping service professionals craft and deliver an exceptional experience for the customer. Offering service excellence through experience engineering – whether in hospitality, restaurants, tourism or any other service-focused industry – requires a great deal of strategic planning, analytical thinking and industry expertise. 

To reflect the complexities of experience engineering, the online master’s in hospitality and tourism management program has updated its curriculum to center on the state-of-the-art training and techniques that are defining the service industry today. These curriculum updates are designed to help prepare service professionals for the future of experience engineering and give them the advanced strategic and analytical skills they need to become service leaders and managers. Designed for professionals seeking career advancement, the program’s new curriculum offers foundational training that’s applicable to many different service fields, as well as courses in specialized topics and influential trends like influencer marketing, digital analytics, revenue management and more. 

“The updated curriculum enriches the program offerings by including currently trendy and directly relevant topics that our students can directly apply to their jobs,” said Alei Fan, associate professor and director of master’s programs in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University. 

“For example, influencer marketing has become one of the most important marketing tools used by many organizations,” Fan continued. “The new Integrated Marketing Communication course integrates such a topic into the course contents by leveraging the research-proved best practices and hands-on experience to provide value-added learning experience to our online master’s students.” 

Through taking updated courses focused on developing a service excellence mindset, experience design, revenue management, asset management, consumer behavior and more, students in the program reap the benefits of a traditional business degree with an added specific focus on service excellence. Several of the program’s courses focus on helping students build strong analytical thinking and strategic management skills, which are acquired through completing hands-on projects. These skills can help students prepare themselves for leadership and management roles within the service industry. Additionally, the program’s courses are taught by industry-experienced instructors from a variety of professional backgrounds who bring real-world knowledge to the virtual classroom. 

“The hospitality and tourism industries have long been at the forefront of pioneering service excellence, but of late, other industries are realizing the benefits of their leaders adopting such a service mindset,” said Ceridwyn King, professor and school head of the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University. “In response to this, this curriculum redesign seeks to continue such pioneering efforts but does so in a way that is more accessible for those that not only work in hospitality and tourism but also for those that work in related fields or positions.” 

The program’s curriculum updates also include an accelerated completion timeline, which makes earning Purdue’s master’s in hospitality and tourism management quicker and more accessible. In completing their master’s online, students get added flexibility and the ability to work toward the degree at their own pace. Those features were designed to help working professionals balance going back to school with their careers. 

“The new curriculum consists of key competencies for the general service industry while covering a wide range of applications to various types of service organizations,” Fan said. “Students can adapt what they learn from this master’s program to various disciplines and different career paths in the general service industry or any service-related fields, including but not limited to hospitality, tourism, transportation, healthcare, senior living, retailing, financial planning, consulting and more.”  

To learn more about Purdue’s online Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management, please visit the program’s webpage . 

Imagine a symphony orchestra where each musician plays their own tune without listening to others. The result would be chaotic and dissonant, right? Similarly, in the business world, when decision-making happens in silos and planning processes are disconnected, it’s like having a group of individuals playing their own instruments without any coordination. The harmony is lost, and the organization becomes inefficient, misses opportunities, and struggles to keep up with the fast-paced market.

Integrated Business Planning (IBP) addresses these challenges by providing a comprehensive framework that integrates strategic, operational and financial planning, analysis, and reporting to drive better business outcomes.   A retail company experiences a sudden surge in online sales due to a viral social media campaign. Integrated planning incorporates supply chain planning, demand planning, and demand forecasts so the company can quickly assess the impact on inventory levels, supply chain logistics, production plans, and customer service capacity. By having real-time data at their fingertips, decision-makers can adjust their strategies, allocate resources accordingly, and capitalize on the unexpected spike in demand, ensuring customer satisfaction while maximizing revenue.   This blog explores the significance of IBP in today’s modern business landscape and highlights its key benefits and implementation considerations.

Integrated Business Planning (IBP) is a holistic approach that integrates strategic planning, operational planning, and financial planning within an organization. IBP brings together various functions, including sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, human resources, IT and beyond to collaborate across business units and make informed decisions that drive overall business success. The term ‘IBP’ was introduced by the management consulting firm Oliver Wight to describe an evolved version of the sales and operations planning (S&OP process) they originally developed in the early 1980s.

1. Strategic planning

Integrated Business Planning starts with strategic planning. The management team defines the organization’s long-term goals and objectives. This includes analyzing market trends, competitive forces, and customer demands to identify opportunities and threats. Strategic planning sets the direction for the entire organization and establishes the foundation for subsequent planning roadmap.

2. Operational planning

Operational planning focuses on translating strategic goals into actionable plans at the operational level. This involves breaking down the strategic objectives into specific targets and initiatives that different departments and functions need to execute.

For example, the sales department might develop a plan to enter new markets or launch new products, while the supply chain department focuses on inventory optimization and ensuring efficient logistics. The key is to align operational plans with the broader strategic objectives to ensure consistency and coherence throughout the organization.

3. Financial planning

Financial planning ensures that the organization’s strategic and operational plans are financially viable. It involves developing detailed financial projections, including revenue forecasts, expense budgets, and cash flow forecasts. By integrating financial planning with strategic and operational planning, organizations can evaluate financial profitability, identify potential gaps or risks, and make necessary adjustments to achieve financial targets.

 4. Cross-functional collaboration

A fundamental aspect of IBP is the collaboration and involvement of various functions and departments within the organization. Rather than working in isolation, departments such as sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, human resources, and IT come together to share information, align objectives, and make coordinated decisions.

5. Data integration and analytics

IBP relies on the integration of data from different sources and systems. This may involve consolidating data from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, supply chain management systems, and other relevant sources. Advanced analytics and business intelligence tools are utilized to analyze and interpret the data, uncovering insights and trends that drive informed decision-making.

6. Continuous monitoring and performance management

The Integrated Business Planning process requires continuous monitoring of performance against plans and targets. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are established to measure progress and enable proactive management. Regular performance reviews and reporting enable organizations to identify deviations, take corrective actions, and continuously improve their planning processes.

By integrating strategic, operational, and financial planning organizations can unlock the full potential of IBP and drive business success and achieve their goals.

Enhanced decision-making

IBP facilitates data-driven decision-making by providing real-time insights into various aspects of the business. By bringing together data from various departments, organizations can develop a holistic view of their operations, enabling them to make better-informed decisions.

Improved alignment

By aligning strategic objectives with operational plans and financial goals, IBP ensures that every department and employee is working towards a common vision. This alignment fosters synergy and drives cross-functional collaboration.

Agility and responsiveness

In the rapidly changing business landscape, agility is crucial. IBP allows organizations to quickly adapt to market shifts, demand fluctuations, and emerging opportunities. By continuously monitoring and adjusting plans, businesses can remain responsive and seize competitive advantages.

Optimal resource allocation

Integrated Business Planning enables organizations to optimize resource allocation across different functions. It helps identify bottlenecks, allocate resources effectively, and prioritize initiatives that yield the highest returns, leading to improved efficiency and cost savings.

Risk management

IBP facilitates proactive risk management by considering various scenarios and identifying potential risks and opportunities. By analyzing data and conducting what-if analyses, companies can develop contingency plans and mitigate risks before they materialize.

Implementing an effective IBP process requires careful planning and execution that may require substantial effort and a change of management, but the rewards are well worth it. Here are some essential strategic steps to consider:

1. Executive sponsorship

Establish leadership buy-in; gain support from top-level executives who understand the value of Integrated Business Planning and can drive the necessary organizational changes. Leadership commitment, led by CFO, is crucial for successful implementation.

2. Continuous improvement

Continuously monitor and adjust; implement mechanisms to monitor performance against plans and targets. Regularly review key performance indicators (KPIs), conduct performance analysis, and generate timely reports and dashboards. Identify deviations, take corrective actions, and continuously improve the planning processes based on feedback and insights.

3. Integration of people and technology

To foster cross-functional collaboration, the organization must identify key stakeholders, break down silos, and encourage open communication among departments. Creating a collaborative culture that values information sharing and collective decision-making is essential.

Simultaneously, implementing a robust data integration system, encompassing ERP, CRM, and supply chain management systems, ensures seamless data flow and real-time updates. User-friendly interfaces, data governance, and training provide the necessary technological support. Combining these efforts cultivates an environment of collaboration and data-driven decision-making, boosting operational efficiency and competitiveness.

4. Technology

Implement advanced analytics and business intelligence solutions to streamline and automate the planning process and assist decision-making capabilities. These solutions provide comprehensive functionality, data integration capabilities, scenario planning and modeling, and real-time reporting.

From a tech perspective, organizations need advanced software solutions and systems that facilitate seamless data integration and collaboration to support IBP. Here are some key components that contribute to the success of integrated business planning:

1. Corporate performance management

A platform that serves as the backbone of integrated business planning by integrating data from different departments and functions. It enables a centralized repository of information and provides real-time visibility into the entire business.

2. Business intelligence (BI) tools

Business intelligence tools play a vital role in analyzing and visualizing integrated data from multiple sources. These tools provide comprehensive insights into key metrics and help identify trends, patterns, and opportunities. By leveraging BI tools, decision-makers can quickly evaluate financial performance, make data-driven business decisions and increase forecast accuracy.

3. Collaborative planning and forecasting solutions

Collaborative planning and forecasting solutions enable cross-functional teams to work together in creating and refining plans. These planning solutions facilitate real-time collaboration, allowing stakeholders to contribute their expertise and insights. With end-to-end visibility, organizations can ensure that plans are comprehensive, accurate, and aligned with business strategy.

4. Data integration and automation

To ensure seamless data integration, organizations need to invest in data integration and automation tools. These tools enable the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of data from various sources. Automation streamlines data processes reduces manual effort and minimizes the risk of errors or data discrepancies.

5. Cloud-based solutions

Cloud computing offers scalability, flexibility, and accessibility, making it an ideal choice for integrated business planning. Cloud-based solutions provide a centralized platform where teams can access data, collaborate, and make real-time updates from anywhere, at any time. The cloud also offers data security, disaster recovery, and cost efficiencies compared to on-premises infrastructure.

6. Data governance and security

As organizations integrate data from multiple sources, maintaining data governance and security becomes crucial. Establishing data governance policies and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations are vital steps in maintaining data integrity and safeguarding sensitive information. Implementing robust data security measures, such as encryption and access controls, helps protect against data breaches and unauthorized access.

IBM Planning Analytics  is a highly scalable and flexible solution for Integrated Business Planning. It supports and strengthens the five pillars discussed above, empowering organizations to achieve their strategic goals and make better data-driven decisions. With its AI- infused advanced analytics and modeling capabilities, IBM Planning Analytics allows organizations to integrate strategic, operational, and financial planning seamlessly. The solution enables cross-functional collaboration by providing a centralized platform where teams from various departments can collaborate, share insights, and align their plans. IBM Planning Analytics also offers powerful data integration capabilities, allowing organizations to consolidate data from multiple sources and systems, providing a holistic view of the business. The solutions’s robust embedded AI predictive analytics uses internal and external data and machine learning to provide accurate demand forecasts. IBM Planning Analytics supports continuous monitoring and performance management by providing real-time reporting, dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) that enable organizations to track progress and take proactive actions.  As the business landscape continues to evolve, embracing Integrated Business Planning is no longer an option but a necessity for organizations. To succeed in this dynamic environment, businesses need an integrated approach to planning that brings all the departments and data together, creating a symphony of collaboration and coordination.

Learn more about IBM Planning Analytics

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Construction of Tourism Management Information System Based on Django

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes on Data Engineering and Communications Technologies ((LNDECT,volume 84))

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With the improvement of social material living standard, domestic tourism and outbound tourism are growing rapidly. In order to improve the quality of tourism service and grasp the business information timely, accurately and quickly, it is necessary to build a tourism management information system. The storage and processing of tourism information system is information related to tourism business, which is a kind of business decision support system. With the development of information technology and on the upgrade of e-commerce, with the emergence of a number of three party security payment providers such as Alipay and Paypal, tourism is now increasingly in need of information and online services. This will speed up the construction of domestic tourism management information system. Tourism management information system will be widely used in tourism industry.

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Yang, P. (2022). Construction of Tourism Management Information System Based on Django. In: J. Jansen, B., Liang, H., Ye, J. (eds) International Conference on Cognitive based Information Processing and Applications (CIPA 2021). Lecture Notes on Data Engineering and Communications Technologies, vol 84. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5857-0_92

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Too many people, not enough management: A look at the chaos of ‘overtourism' in the summer of 2024

Wandering is surging, rather than leveling off, driven by lingering revenge travel, digital nomad campaigns and so-called golden visas blamed in part for skyrocketing housing prices, by laurie kellman | the associated press • published august 19, 2024 • updated on august 19, 2024 at 7:28 am.

The doorbell to Martinho de Almada Pimentel’s house is hard to find, and he likes it that way. It’s a long rope that, when pulled, rings a literal bell on the roof that lets him know someone is outside the mountainside mansion that his great-grandfather built in 1914 as a monument to privacy.

There's precious little of that for Pimentel during this summer of “overtourism."

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Travelers idling in standstill traffic outside the sunwashed walls of Casa do Cipreste sometimes spot the bell and pull the string “because it's funny," he says. With the windows open, he can smell the car exhaust and hear the “tuk-tuk” of outsized scooters named for the sound they make. And he can sense the frustration of 5,000 visitors a day who are forced to queue around the house on the crawl up single-lane switchbacks to Pena Palace, the onetime retreat of King Ferdinand II.

“Now I'm more isolated than during COVID,” the soft-spoken Pimentel, who lives alone, said during an interview this month on the veranda. “Now I try to (not) go out. What I feel is: angry.”

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This is a story of what it means to be visited in 2024, the first year in which global tourism is expected to set records since the coronavirus pandemic brought much of life on Earth to a halt. Wandering is surging, rather than leveling off, driven by lingering revenge travel, digital nomad campaigns and so-called golden visas blamed in part for skyrocketing housing prices.

Anyone paying attention during this summer of “overtourism” is familiar with the escalating consequences around the world: traffic jams in paradise. Reports of hospitality workers living in tents. And “anti-tourism” protests intended to shame visitors as they dine — or, as in Barcelona in July, douse them with water pistols.

The demonstrations are an example of locals using the power of their numbers and social media to issue destination leaders an ultimatum: Manage this issue better or we'll scare away the tourists — who could spend their $11.1 trillion a year elsewhere. Housing prices, traffic and water management are on all of the checklists.

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Cue the violins, you might grouse, for people like Pimentel who are well-off enough to live in places worth visiting. But it's more than a problem for rich people.

“Not to be able to get an ambulance or to not be able to get my groceries is a rich people problem?” said Matthew Bedell, another resident of Sintra, which has no pharmacy or grocery store in the center of the UNESCO-designated district. “Those don’t feel like rich people problems to me.”

What is ‘overtourism,’ anyway?

The phrase itself generally describes the tipping point at which visitors and their cash stop benefitting residents and instead cause harm by degrading historic sites, overwhelming infrastructure and making life markedly more difficult for those who live there.

It's a hashtag that gives a name to the protests and hostility that you've seen all summer. But look a little deeper and you'll find knottier issues for locals and their leaders, none more universal than housing prices driven up by short-term rentals like Airbnb, from Spain to South Africa . Some locales are encouraging “quality tourism,” generally defined as more consideration by visitors toward residents and less drunken behavior, disruptive selfie-taking and other questionable choices.

“Overtourism is arguably a social phenomenon, too,” according to an analysis for the World Trade Organization written by Joseph Martin Cheer of Western Sydney University and Marina Novelli of the University of Nottingham. In China and India , for example, they wrote, crowded places are more socially accepted. “This suggests that cultural expectations of personal space and expectations of exclusivity differ.”

The summer of 2023 was defined by the chaos of the journey itself — airports and airlines overwhelmed, passports a nightmare for travelers from the US. Yet by the end of the year, signs abounded that the COVID-19 rush of revenge travel was accelerating.

In January, the United Nations' tourism agency predicted that worldwide tourism would exceed the records set in 2019 by 2%. By the end of March, the agency reported, more than 285 million tourists had travelled internationally, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023. Europe remained the most-visited destination. The World Travel & Tourism Council projected in April that 142 of 185 countries it analyzed would set records for tourism, set to generate $11.1 trillion globally and account for 330 million jobs.

Aside from the money, there's been trouble in paradise this year, with Spain playing a starring role in everything from water management problems to skyrocketing housing prices and drunken tourist drama.

Protests erupted across the country as early as March, when graffiti in Malaga reportedly urged tourists to “go f——— home.” Thousands of protesters demonstrated in Spain's Canary Islands against visitors and construction that was overwhelming water services and jacking up housing prices. In Barcelona, protesters shamed and squirted water at people presumed to be visitors as they dined al fresco in touristy Las Ramblas.

In Japan , where tourist arrivals fueled by the weak yen were expected to set a new record in 2024, Kyoto banned tourists from certain alleys. The government set limits on people climbing Mount Fuji. And in Fujikawaguchiko, a town that offers some of the best views of the mountain's perfect cone, leaders erected a large black screen in a parking lot to deter tourists from overcrowding the site. The tourists apparently struck back by cutting holes in the screen at eye level.

Air travel, meanwhile, only got more miserable, the U.S. government reported in July. UNESCO has warned of potential damage to protected areas. And Fodor’s “ No List 2024 ” urged people to reconsider visiting suffering hotspots, including sites in Greece and Vietnam, as well as areas with water management problems in California , India and Thailand.

Not-yet-hot spots looked to capitalize on “de-touristing” drives such as Amsterdam's “Stay Away” campaign aimed at partying young men. The “Welcome to MonGOlia” camapaign, for example, beckoned from the land of Genghis Khan. Visits to that country by foreign tourists jumped 25% the first seven months of 2024 over last year.

Tourism is surging and shifting so quickly, in fact, that some experts say the very term “overtourism” is outdated.

Michael O'Regan, a lecturer on tourism and events at Glasgow Caledonian University, argues that “overtourism” has become a buzzword that doesn't reflect the fact that the experience depends largely on the success or failure of crowd management. It's true that many of the demonstrations aren't aimed at the tourists themselves, but at the leaders who allow the locals who should benefit to become the ones who pay.

“There’s been backlash against the business models on which modern tourism has been built and the lack of response by politicians," he said in an interview. Tourism “came back quicker than we expected,” he allows, but tourists aren't the problem. “There's a global fight for tourists. We can't ignore that. ... So what happens when we get too many tourists? Destinations need to do more research."

Of visitors vs being visited

Virpi Makela can describe exactly what happens in her corner of Sintra.

Incoming guests at Casa do Valle, her hillside bed-and-breakfast near the village center, call Makela in anguish because they cannot figure out how to find her property amid Sintra's “disorganized" traffic rules that seem to change without notice.

“There's a pillar in the middle of the road that goes up and down and you can’t go forward because you ruin your car. So you have to somehow come down but you can’t turn around, so you have to back down the road,” says Makela, a resident of Portugal for 36 years. “And then people get so frustrated they come to our road, which also has a sign that says `authorized vehicles only.' And they block everything.”

Nobody disputes the idea that the tourism boom in Portugal needs better management. The WTTC predicted in April that the country's tourism sector will grow this year by 24% over 2019 levels, create 126,000 more jobs since then and account for about 20% of the national economy. Housing prices already were pushing an increasing number of people out of the property market, driven upward in part by a growing influx of foreign investors and tourists seeking short-term rentals.

To respond, Lisbon announced plans to halve the number of tuk-tuks allowed to ferry tourists though the city and built more parking spaces for them after residents complained that they are blocking traffic.

A 40-minute train ride to the west, Sintra's municipality has invested in more parking lots outside town and youth housing at lower prices near the center, the mayor's office said.

More than 3 million people every year visit the mountains and castles of Sintra, long one of Portugal's wealthiest regions for its cool microclimate and scenery. Sintra City Hall also said via email that fewer tickets are now sold to the nearby historic sites. Pena Palace, for example, began this year to permit less than half the 12,000 tickets per day sold there in the past.

It's not enough, say residents, who have organized into QSintra, an association that's challenging City Hall to “put residents first” with better communication, to start. They also want to know the government's plan for managing guests at a new hotel being constructed to increase the number of overnight stays, and more limits on the number of cars and visitors allowed.

“We're not against tourists,” reads the group's manifesto. “We're against the pandemonium that (local leaders) cannot resolve."

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College of Business and Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management team up to add a concentration to the doctoral program

By Cynthia Corzo

August 28, 2024 at 4:06pm

Florida International University’s College of Business (FIU Business) and the university’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management are launching a hospitality concentration in the FIU Business Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program.

The program, which will enroll its first cohort in Spring of 2025, aims to develop executives who can conduct both academic and industry research.

“Hospitality relies heavily on business analytics,” said George Marakas, associate dean of research and doctoral studies at FIU Business. “Being able to do proper research and make the results reliable, certainly will benefit any organization our graduates help lead.”

The hospitality DBA concentration is designed for senior-level professionals who have established themselves in the industry and are looking for advancement or to pursue the next chapter in their career.

“We are very excited to offer this new, hospitality-focused doctorate degree which will give experienced industry professionals research skills and pedagogy to prepare them to lead and teach the future leaders of the hospitality industry,” said Michael Cheng, dean of the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.

Under the guidance and mentorship of our expert faculty, doctoral degree seeking students will be able to leverage these new skills and tools, together with their executive experience, to advance in their current career, become an independent consultant, or join the ranks of hospitality professors.

“Hospitality is a multi-billion-dollar industry and a key economic driver for South Florida, the U.S. and around the world. Our first cohort will be guided by hospitality educators with years of both award-winning research and industry expertise,” said Andrew Moreo, FIU Chaplin School associate professor and director of research.

The three-year FIU Business DBA program will meet online weekly and in person in downtown Miami once a month. For more information please visit the program’s website .

Aug 2024: A look at the latest Microsoft Entra key feature releases, announcements, and updates

Adam Matthews

August 26th, 2024 0 0

Welcome to the August edition of our monthly developer update, summarizing the latest news and developments in Microsoft Entra. This month, we bring you feature updates, public previews, announcements, and other important updates. These updates aim to bolster your security processes and simplify your workflows.

Read on to learn more and make the most of Microsoft Entra.

What went Generally Available (GA) since Jul 2024?

AD FS Application Migration Wizard:  The AD FS application migration wizard simplifies the migration process from AD FS to Microsoft Entra ID. It evaluates AD FS applications for compatibility and guides admins in resolving issues when preparing applications for migration to Microsoft Entra.

Microsoft Entra External ID – easy authentication with Azure App Service:  Simplifying the process of configuring authentication and authorization for external-facing apps in Azure App Service. This improvement allows for seamless configuration directly from the App Service authentication setup without switching into the external tenant.

New Public Previews

• Device-based Conditional Access (CA) to Microsoft 365 and Azure resources on Red Hat Enterprise Linux:  We are expanding device-based Conditional Access to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This capability allows users to register their devices with Microsoft Entra ID, enroll into Intune, and satisfy device-based CA policies when accessing their corporate resources.

News, updates, and resources

• Learn what’s new in Microsoft Entra , such as the latest release notes, known issues, bug fixes, deprecation functionality, and upcoming changes. You can find releases specific for Sovereign Clouds on a dedicated release notes page.

Identity blog

ICYMI: An overview of the latest updates in Microsoft Entra for Jul 2024 . Discover how these new capabilities can be integrated into your projects for optimal performance and security.

Integrate Microsoft Entra External ID with your Python Flask applications for secure user authentication. By leveraging External ID, you can securely manage access for external identities like business partners and customers, create custom branded sign-up experiences, and simplify user management. Follow this step-by-step guide to set up and run a sample Flask application using the Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL).

Unlock the potential of secure and efficient identity management with Microsoft Entra External ID . Focusing on two key scenarios, we show how External ID simplifies the process of managing external identities, including business partners, consumers, and customers. Dive in to discover how you can streamline identity management with straightforward, customizable solutions that cater to diverse end-user segments.

Enhance your application by adding secure user profile editing with Microsoft Entra External ID . Microsoft Entra External ID provides simple integration for secure user authentication and profile management, offering custom branded sign-up experiences and efficient user management. The blog post covers high-level setup steps and links to detailed documentation for further guidance.

Announcing a new learning module that helps you explore Microsoft Entra External ID . This module guides you through building a website for an online grocery store, demonstrating how to use External ID for customer sign-ups and sign-ins. It’s a perfect starting point if you’re new to External ID, offering a hands-on way to create a proof-of-concept project while discovering the platform’s features and capabilities.

PSRule for Azure is a powerful tool designed to validate your Azure Infrastructure as Code (IaC) . PSRule runs checks based on the Well-Architected Framework, helping you ensure your Azure solutions follow security best practices. See how to integrate PSRule into your workflow and catch security issues in your IaC templates early.

• Phishing-resistant authentication in Microsoft Entra ID

Stay connected and informed

This blog post aims to keep you informed and engaged with the latest Microsoft Entra developments, helping you harness these new features and capabilities in your identity development journey.

To learn more or test out features in the Microsoft Entra portfolio, visit our  developer center . Make sure you subscribe to the  Identity developer blog  for more insights and to keep up with the latest on all things Identity. And, follow us on  YouTube  for video overviews, tutorials, and deep dives. 

Stay tuned for more updates and developments in the world of Microsoft Entra!

Adam Matthews | Content Writer

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