ITB Berlin News #3

I ITB BERLIN CONVENTION I
Cities get
smart
Former UNWTO senior officer and
current advisor to the Secretary
General of the World Tourism Cities
Foundation, Esencan Terzibasoglu
was set to participate in an
important presentation at the ITB
Berlin Convention, entitled, “Better
City Life Through Smart Tourism”.
We asked Ms Terzibasoglu to tell us
a little more about what was to be
covered at the session.
The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF)
has recently released the “Global Report on
Smart Tourism in Cities” sharing the results
of a comprehensive research on smart
tourism in urban destinations. The concept
of “smart tourism” is closely related to the
concept of “smart city”. “Smart tourism” has
gained significant momentum in destination
governance policies and management
strategies over more than a decade because
the tourism industry has been facing a
tremendous paradigm shift as regards
the behaviour of the traveller as well as the
structure of the supply chain.
What are the keys to becoming
a “smart urban tourism
destination”?
Context wise, one can say
that “smart cities” are those
which have developed smart
(intelligent) physical, social,
institutional and economic
infrastructure while ensuring
the centrality of citizens in a
sustainable environment. We
can also say that “smart urban
destinations” are those which
show the above-mentioned
characteristics and likewise,
which have also developed
efficient strategies to enhance
tourism competitiveness by deploying
their natural and cultural resources in a
sustainable manner and by creating innovative
products for the visitor. Within this context,
it is significant that smart urban destinations
should take the advantage of the fast changing
digital technology, smart devices and in the
meantime create strategic information and
knowledge by using smart tools and platforms
and share all this with the stakeholders for
better governance and management
Esencan
Terzibasoglu
12 • ITB BERLIN NEWS • THURSDAY 19 TH MARCH 2020
www.itb-berlin-news.com