"The initiative has the support of SEGITTUR and BASQUETOUR and is helped by IKEI in collaboration with TECNALIA"
The districts of Aiaraldea and Gorbeialdea in Araba, Urola Erdia and Urola Garaia in Gipuzkoa, and Gorbeialdea in Bizkaia have begun the process to become Smart Tourism Destinations
The Smart Tourism Destinations (STD) programme is an initiative backed by the Secretary of State for Tourism (SETUR) and managed by the State Company for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies (SEGITTUR), which seeks to contribute to increasing the competitiveness of tourism destinations and the quality of life of their residents by focusing on five areas of action: governance, innovation, technology, sustainability and accessibility.
The STD methodology
The STD methodology, a pioneer at an international level, assumes the aforementioned areas of action as its backbone underpinning the STD programme. Its implementation is based on the coordination of all the areas and all the public and private agents that may directly or indirectly enable tourism activity in the territory.
This methodology fosters the implementation of a management model that takes into account the cross-cutting nature of tourism activity and the differentiating characteristics of each destination. It is based on a diagnostic methodology that leads to a system of recommendations, an action plan and a monitoring system. These make up the fundamental elements of the model, enabling a process of continuous improvement of destination management adapted to the present and future challenges of tourism.
Five new STDs
The initiative is backed by SEGITTUR and BASQUETOUR with the assistance of IKEI in collaboration with TECNALIA and is due to be completed next autumn. These five new destinations will join the districts of:
- Goierri.
- Uribe.
- Rioja Alavesa.
- Bidasoa.
- Bilbao.
- Debagoiena.
- Getxo.
- Valles Alaveses.
- Debabarrena.
- Enkarterri-Meatzaldea.
- Llanada Alaves.
- Portugalete.
TECNALIA, along with IKEI, will help in the implementation of these initiatives to align with the STD Network standards, including the development of innovations focused on technologies that facilitate the tourism experience, the promotion of sustainable routes and the implementation of technological solutions that contribute towards smart and sustainable tourism.
Through this initiative, TECNALIA maintains its commitment to tourism transformation in Spain, demonstrating its technological capacity to contribute to the challenges of tourism in the 21st century, along with the rest of the agents involved.
