Smart Destinations: The State of the Art

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Management, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
Interests: destination marketing; destination management; smart destinations; technology; accessibility; disability; sustainable development; digitization; leadership; employment; corporate responsibility; climate change; over-tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Business Studies and Economic History and Institutions, University of La Laguna, 38071 Canary Islands, Spain
Interests: etourism; island tourism; tourism competitiveness; smart tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tourist destinations are now faced with major challenges such as digital transformation and global climate change. In recent years, the travel sector has set off down a path towards sustainability and technological specialization; however, successful destinations are in search of real solutions to issues such as gentrification, the depletion of natural resources, global competition, changes in consumer habits, the technological revolution, and the threat of cyber attacks.

This Special Issue focuses on the potential of smart solutions to address these challenges at both the destination and business levels. How can smart solutions best be designed and applied to the challenges tourism destinations are faced with and how can businesses collaborate effectively to implement them? What lessons have we learned so far in developing and applying smart technologies to the tourism sector, and how do we best integrate these lessons into strategies as the sector seeks to move forward in addressing the challenges with which it is faced today and in the future?

This Special Issue will comprise papers presented at Tourism: The State of the Art, the third global gathering of the academic and business community around tourism, following the 1994 and 2004 international summits in Scotland. The objective of the Tenerife Global Summit 2024 is to provide solutions to the challenges facing smart destinations.

The conference streams include:

  1. Collaborative and intelligent tourism governance;
  2. New leadership and sustainable and inclusive growth;
  3. Labour market and competitive transformation of destinations;
  4. Tourist areas, environmental responsibility, and ecological transition;
  5. Products, marketing, and tourism intelligence;
  6. Digital transformation and digital tourism.

Prof. Dr. Brian Garrod
Dr. Eduardo Parra-López
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tourism and Hospitality is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • destination marketing
  • destination management
  • smart destinations
  • technology
  • sustainable development
  • innovation and creativity

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1630 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of Green Hotels in Singapore, Sentosa Island: A Big Data Study Through Online Review
by Ummi Aliyah, Angellie Williady and Hak-Seon Kim
Tour. Hosp. 2025, 6(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6010024 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 861
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to evaluate green hotels in Sentosa Island, Singapore, with big data analysis utilizing online reviews regarding environmental sustainability practices. Tourism, while providing significant economic benefits, also contributes to environmental degradation, particularly through the hotel industry, which accounts [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate green hotels in Sentosa Island, Singapore, with big data analysis utilizing online reviews regarding environmental sustainability practices. Tourism, while providing significant economic benefits, also contributes to environmental degradation, particularly through the hotel industry, which accounts for a substantial share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable tourism practices are becoming increasingly popular as the public becomes more aware of the environment. As a result, green hotels emerged as a solution and hotels are taking steps to become eco-friendly. Based on the 3579 online reviews, the findings indicate that green practices, including water and energy conservation, play a crucial role in enhancing customer satisfaction, alongside traditional hospitality elements such as service quality and amenities. The integration underscores the importance of incorporating sustainability into core operations without compromising the high standards of service that guests expect. This research contributes to the understanding of sustainable hospitality practices, offering actionable recommendations for policymakers and hotel managers to foster environmentally friendly practices while maintaining customer satisfaction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Destinations: The State of the Art)
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26 pages, 2243 KiB  
Article
Demystifying the Use of Open-Access Data in Smart Heritage Implementations
by Shiran Geng, Hing-Wah Chau, Elmira Jamei and Zora Vrcelj
Tour. Hosp. 2024, 5(4), 1125-1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp5040063 - 5 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1223
Abstract
Smart Heritage, a concept closely linked to Smart Cities and Smart Tourism, is an emerging field focused on enhancing heritage identity, visitor experience, and cultural sustainability. While initial frameworks have been developed, there is a gap in applying Smart Heritage at the precinct [...] Read more.
Smart Heritage, a concept closely linked to Smart Cities and Smart Tourism, is an emerging field focused on enhancing heritage identity, visitor experience, and cultural sustainability. While initial frameworks have been developed, there is a gap in applying Smart Heritage at the precinct level, especially in large-scale heritage sites. This study addresses this gap by examining how open-access data can be utilised in a real-world case study of Chinatown Melbourne, a key urban heritage precinct. Data sources include archival maps, open-access databases, and 3D models provided by the local city council, covering resources such as on-street parking, pedestrian activity, microclimate, and dwelling functionalities. This study employed a structured methodology that transitions from global best practices to local applications, linking these data resources to Smart Heritage applications and identifying opportunities for improving urban management, heritage curation, and the tourism experience within the case study precinct. The findings offer practical insights for researchers and policymakers, demonstrating how data can support the development of culturally sustainable and technologically integrated heritage precincts. Future research should explore additional data types and case studies to further advance the field of Smart Heritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Destinations: The State of the Art)
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