MODULE 6

C. Digital Tourism in Future Aspect

Digitalization is of utmost importance in today's rapidly evolving world as it revolutionizes how businesses, industries, and individuals operate. Embracing digital technologies and transforming traditional processes into digital ones offers numerous benefits, such as increased efficiency, improved productivity, enhanced accessibility, and better connectivity. It enables businesses to reach a broader audience, streamline operations, and adapt quickly to changing market demands. For individuals, digitalization empowers access to vast amounts of information, services, and opportunities, promoting convenience and convenience in various aspects of life. Moreover, digitalization fosters innovation, leading to the development of cutting-edge technologies and solutions that address complex challenges and contribute to sustainable growth. Embracing digitalization is essential for staying competitive, driving economic progress, and creating a more inclusive and interconnected global society. In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital economy, the future holds great promise for the tourism sector, which has the potential to harness the power of data and digital technologies to transform the way we explore and experience the world. As the world gradually recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry is poised for a dynamic resurgence, with digitalization at its core.

The last two years have been a challenging period, with the pandemic causing significant disruptions to both personal and professional spheres. However, these unprecedented times have underscored the importance of appropriate digital tools to adapt to new realities and create a more resilient and transparent market. In this context, the digital tourism ecosystem emerges as a vital force, reshaping the way we plan, book, and enjoy our travel experiences.

Digitalization has become an integral part of the tourism landscape, with online travel agencies, booking engines, and travel apps revolutionizing travel planning and booking processes. These digital tools offer real-time directions, public transportation information, virtual tours, and easy online booking and payment systems, making them indispensable in today's traveler's toolkit.

Beyond the convenience for individual travelers, the opportunities for educational and entrepreneurial purposes in digital tourism are vast. The tourism sector has emerged as the third-largest export sector, deeply intertwined with various branches of the economy. In pre-pandemic Europe, the tourism industry contributed significantly to the GDP and employed millions of people. Moreover, the majority of the European tourist industry comprises small and medium-sized businesses, driving innovation and creating numerous job opportunities.

Yet, the potential for even greater growth lies in empowering the workforce, particularly women and youth, with enhanced educational and entrepreneurial skills. The Director of Innovation, Education, and Investments at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Natalia Bayona, rightly points out that elevating education in the sector is essential for developing a high-level economic segment. Data plays a pivotal role in achieving this transformation. By embracing a citizen-centric, data-driven economy, insights into the distribution of resources and the quality of education can be harnessed to create targeted solutions. Relocating resources based on data-driven analysis can lead to improved education in areas that need it most, ensuring a brighter future for women and youth in the job market.

Furthermore, local data can enrich the relevance of education by linking industry data with vocational schools, fostering a skilled workforce that meets market demands. This necessitates the integration of data from different industries, which poses a challenge in the current system. To address these challenges and bolster the education system in the tourism sector, immediate actions are required. Data aggregation needs to be streamlined to provide well-structured and operable data, enabling the development of policies that cater to the specific needs of the people. This not only applies to the tourism sector but also to other industries such as accommodation, travel, dining, and car leasing. Despite the hurdles, the future of digital tourism and data ecosystems holds promise. Entities like Gaia-X have demonstrated that citizen-centric solutions are within reach, enabling data-driven advancements that prioritize the needs of individuals.

1. Sustainability in Digital Tourism

The future of the tourism industry lies in the seamless integration of digitalization and sustainability. Embracing new technological trends and sustainable practices can lead to inclusive growth and continuous progress aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Digital tools like tourism intelligence, big data technology, and contactless solutions empower hotels to make data-driven decisions, offer personalized services, and ensure guest safety and convenience.

Smart Tourist Destinations (DTI) emerge as innovative, technology-driven destinations that prioritize sustainable development and enhance the overall visitor experience. Eco applications and smart technology further contribute to promoting sustainable practices and fostering a kinder tourism approach to the environment.
Benefits of Smart Tourist Destinations:

• Increased competitiveness, thanks to a better use of existing tourism resources, and the identification and creation of new ones.

• An improvement in the efficiency of production and marketing processes.

• A boost to the sustainable development of the destination in environmental, economic, and socio-cultural terms.

• An improvement in quality of stay for visitors, as well as in quality of life for local residents.

• To make the tourism strategy the basis for the economic revitalisation of the area, guaranteeing long-term positive impact.

The combination of digitization and sustainability not only accelerates the tourism sector's recovery but also presents an opportunity for the industry to improve its processes and customer experiences. By leveraging technology and sustainable practices, hotels can play a vital role in the fight against climate change and environmental preservation, ensuring a promising future for the tourism industry.

In conclusion, the marriage of digitalization and sustainability is essential for the future of travel and tourism. These principles enable resource management, enhance traveler safety, optimize efficiency, and create a more sustainable and resilient industry. With the increasing adoption of digital technologies in hotels and a focus on environmental responsibility, the tourism sector is on the path to a prosperous and eco-friendly future.

Sustainability trends for future tourism leading to:

Tourism Intelligence: Tourism intelligence is revolutionizing the industry by predicting traveler behavior and optimizing services and destinations. Through data analysis, it enables better decision-making, enhances traveler experiences, and reduces environmental impact.

Transportation: Innovation in transportation, such as electric vehicles, biofuel-powered aircraft, and hyperloop technology, is driving sustainability in the tourism sector. Autonomous vehicles also hold promise for reducing emissions and improving efficiency.

Big Data and Business Intelligence: Big data and business intelligence empower tourism companies to understand customer behaviour, improve customer service, and allocate resources efficiently. It aids in sustainable practices, energy conservation, and minimizing carbon footprints.

Smart Tourist Destinations (DTI): DTIs use ICT to analyze data, predict tourist behavior, and optimize destinations for sustainability. They enhance safety, comfort, and personalized experiences, leading to customer loyalty and retention.

Contactless Technology: Contactless technology ensures traveler safety and efficiency while reducing physical resource usage. It enables immersive and sustainable experiences like virtual reality tours and augmented reality audio guides.

Accommodation: Technology enables sustainable practices in accommodations through intelligent resource usage, renewable energy systems, and eco-friendly amenities. It enhances guest experiences with virtual check-ins and voice-assistance technology. Zero-emission buildings offer a promising solution for sustainable stays.

2. Privacy and Security challenges of Digital tourism

The travel and tourism industry's increasing digitalization has led to a surge in cybersecurity risks, particularly post-COVID. With millions of customers entrusting their personal and financial information to e-Tourism and eTravel businesses, the sector faces various threats.

Airline Companies and Affiliates: Airline booking websites have become prime targets for hackers, with data breaches impacting millions of customers. Third-party vulnerabilities and supply chain breaches have also exposed sensitive information.

Accommodation and Travel: Omnichannel models in the accommodation and travel sector extract data from multiple sources and use external code, increasing the risk of cyberattacks. Magecart attacks on hotel chains and Uber's megahack are examples of such vulnerabilities.

Attractions, Events, Conferences: Cyberattacks have targeted attractions and event websites, exploiting faulty plugins and chatbots to breach customer records.

Data Controllers and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Compliance: Travel and tourism businesses must be aware that they are responsible for data breaches, even if the breach occurs through third-party vendors or external apps. The GDPR and other privacy laws hold data controllers accountable.

Mitigating Cybersecurity Risks: Travel and tourism businesses need a risk-based approach to handle external digital applications and third-party tags on their websites. Continuous monitoring, dynamic digital asset inventory, and tracking data movement are crucial for security and compliance.

Reflectiz: Reflectiz offers a non-intrusive solution to address security blind spots without affecting website performance. Monitoring digital assets through a centralized dashboard helps enforce ongoing client-side security. Reflectiz has been chosen by Air France-KLM to safeguard sensitive data and address the post-COVID surge in online activity.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the resources and tools discussed in this text aim to enhance the digital tourism experience for both tourists and businesses. The purpose of these resources and tools is to provide a range of digital solutions that facilitate travel planning, booking, communication, navigation, language translation, and virtual experiences. 

The selection of these tools was based on a thorough analysis conducted by the consortium and validated through surveys with SMEs and young people. The target audience for these resources and tools includes youth trainers, trainers working with young people, and those involved in promoting entrepreneurial skills among the youth. By leveraging digital technology, these resources and tools contribute to the digital transformation of the tourism sector, enabling businesses to expand, adopt new models, and integrate into digital ecosystems while improving the overall experience for tourists.