Cuenca today received the roadmap for becoming a Smart Destination. This roadmap has been drawn up by SEGITTUR following the production of a diagnostic report analysing the measures it needs to put in place within the five Smart Destination model categories (governance, innovation, technology, accessibility and sustainability).
The Chairman of SEGITTUR, Enrique Martínez Marín, has provided the mayor of Cuenca, Dario Dolz, with the Smart Destination associate designation, demonstrating that the city has begun the process of becoming a Smart Destination.
Cuenca is the first World Heritage City to begin work on the process of becoming a Smart Destination.
To prepare the diagnostic report and action plan for Cuenca, meetings have been held with all the agents related to the sector, and the 400+ requirements linked to the categories for a Smart Destination have been analysed.
Within the five categories, the city is receiving its best results in sustainability. This is the result of Cuenca’s investment in preserving its heritage, both natural and cultural, and its support for social and economic sustainability within the city.
In terms of governance, innovation and technology, the destination has effective instruments such as the Smart City Strategic Plan, the 2023 Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategy and the promotion of circular economy initiatives.
The report signals that accessibility is the area with the most room for improvement. To become a Smart Destination, the roadmap recommends improving accessibility on public transport and the most important tourism resources and promoting an accessible tourism plan.
The document also highlights the need to define a tourism strategy based on the Smart Destination Model and a management system to assess the fulfilment of objectives. Regarding technology, it recommends developing an online marketing plan and providing tools to better understand tourists’ needs.
The Chairman of SEGITTUR noted that “Cuenca becoming a Smart Destination adds value to the destination, making it more competitive and boosting sustainable development, while also improving quality of life for residents and tourists’ experiences.”
The mayor of Cuenca noted that a Smart Destination is “An innovative place which is accessible to everyone, supported by a cutting-edge technological structure, that guarantees the sustainable development of the tourist area and facilitates interaction and integration between the visitor and the environment. This is what Cuenca aspires to be: a unique destination that wants to continue to improve.”
Moreover, he noted that Cuenca’s Smart Destination initiative is part of its Urban Development Strategy, and 80% of this will be financed by the Spanish Multi-Regional Operational Programme (FEDER).
