SEGITTUR and the University of Alicante, as part of its Pedro Zaragoza Orts Tourism Studies programme, are organising the first Direction and Management Course for Smart Destinations, to be held this week in Alicante.
The course was inaugurated today by the Chairman of SEGITTUR, Enrique Martínez, and the Dean of Economic Sciences at the University of Alicante, Raúl Ruiz. Also in attendance were the secretary-general of the University of Alicante, Esther Algarra; the programme director, Armando Ortuño; the Dean of Philosophy and Literature, Juan Mesa; and the course coordinator, Jorge Pereira.
During the inauguration, the Chairman of SEGITTUR noted the importance of Smart Destinations, as they add value to destinations through innovation and technology, resulting in increased competitiveness, more efficient processes, a boost to sustainable development, higher quality stays for visitors and a better quality of life for residents.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, working with SEGITTUR, has developed the Smart Destination methodology, which has been praised by international organisations such as the World Tourism Organization, the European Commission and the Inter-American Development Bank.
The objective of the course is to teach the essential concepts of Smart Destinations and its diagnostic and strategic planning model, providing an overview of the Smart Destination methodology to contribute towards the continuous improvement of tourist destinations, as well as examples of good practices promoted by tourist destinations in Spain.
The course consists of seven sessions, which cover the Smart Destination methodology, digital transformation and new technologies applied to tourism management, intelligent tourism and the direction and management of destinations. There will also be three practical workshops on tourism innovation, sustainability and accessibility in destinations.
It will be taught by experts in the subject matter from SEGITTUR, although INVAT.TUR will also participate to discuss the methodology used in the Region of Valencia, the Visit Benidorm Foundation and Benidorm City Council to talk about intelligent tourism and the UNE standard for Smart Destinations.
The best students will have the opportunity to do work experience at SEGITTUR and learn first-hand about the work being carried out to promote the conversion of destinations into Smart Destinations.
