The country already has 11 smart cities!
“Smart city” is a new concept that works to improve the quality of life of its citizens, ensuring sustainable social, economic and urban development. A city that uses modernization of new technologies of information and communication technologies (ICT), optimizing efficiency management of services and resources of the city.
In a sector where technology and sustainability are becoming more prevalent, tourist powers like Spain are preparing to host a mixture of both. From this combination, smart tourism destinations are born.
Smart cities seek to implement a sustainable tourism model while trying to exploit the technologies of the new era to the maximum at the same time, both to guarantee visitor satisfaction and to minimize the impact on the environment.
It consists of moving forward and using the technological resources that the Industry 4.0 provides, as allies to ensure a sustainable development and a system free of damages to the environment, as well as looking after the well-being of the local community.
Despite of the fact that this tendency is relatively new for Spain, it is taking giant steps. The progress has been so great that the country has already 11 smart destinations thanks to the project of Smart Tourist Destinations, which belongs to the National and Integral Plan of Tourism (PNIT) 2012-2015.
The destinations are: Castelldefels, El Hierro, Haro, La Gomera, Playa de Palma, Badajoz, La Axarquía (Málaga), Jaca (Huesca), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santiago de Compostela and Villajoyosa. The first six are already beginning to perform their plans, and the remaining five are still on standby to sign the pertinent agreements.
The main actions include Wi-Fi in public spaces, computer applications translated into different languages and electricity generation through renewable energy, among many others.
This movement is also due to a more demanding new type of tourist, which is passionate about technologies and respectful towards the environment. What about you? Do you see yourself as a smart tourist? Do not miss these 11 destinations!