Tourism, one of Spain's economic engines, accounting for 12% of GDP, faces strategic challenges that demand innovative technological solutions. The Smart Destination Platform (SDP) has emerged as a key tool for its essential digital transformation. This pioneering technological infrastructure, developed by Segittur, an agency under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, combines management tools, advanced data analytics, and open innovation to optimize the operation of tourist destinations at every stage: before, during, and after the trip.

The SDP offers destinations the ability to collect, analyze, and share key information on tourist behavior and resource use, ensuring an approach based on economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The platform is structured around two main pillars: a centralized tool that facilitates efficient tourism management and an open innovation space where public and private data are combined to develop new services. Furthermore, its design allows it to be scalable and interoperable, enabling its integration with different systems and stakeholders in the tourism sector.

CincoDías, in collaboration with Segittur, organized a working breakfast last week with Laura Flores (Segittur), John Mora (Ametic), Ainhoa del Val Cenarruzabeitia (Telefónica Spain), and Osmar Polo (T-Systems) to analyze this initiative.

A global pioneer
Spain is leading this ambitious project which, in addition to providing advanced technology, seeks to consolidate a collaborative model. Destinations that are part of the network will have access to a catalog of 20 common services, including strategic planning tools, tourist flow forecasting, and environmental impact management. All of this is based on a standardized approach that employs UNE standards and a tourism ontology developed by Segittur, which ensures that all stakeholders speak “the same language” in terms of data. This common foundation not only facilitates interoperability but also encourages the creation of solutions tailored to the needs of each destination.

Furthermore, the Digital Infrastructure for Tourism (PID) aspires to become the world's first sectoral digital public infrastructure for tourism. This approach will position Spain as a leader in tourism innovation, attracting international interest for its ability to integrate technology, sustainability, and public-private partnerships. According to experts, this platform will not only optimize the tourist experience but also boost the competitiveness of businesses in the sector and help alleviate overcrowding in saturated destinations.

As Director of New Technologies and Business Development at Segittur, Laura Flores explained the platform's two aspects: “On the one hand, we facilitate tourism management through digital tools that optimize planning and interaction with the tourism ecosystem; on the other, we promote innovation by analyzing data generated by the destinations themselves.” According to Flores, the project will offer strategic services to local SMEs, improving their access to digital channels and enabling them to offer personalized products.

In fact, the platform is structured around three pillars: a data space, a sandbox environment for testing digital solutions, and an ecosystem that enables innovative business models,” explained Osmar Polo, CEO of T-Systems, who emphasized that these elements will allow collaboration between different stakeholders, ensuring a secure and sovereign data environment where companies and government agencies can operate and share information.

“Twenty common services will be implemented, with the goal of reaching 501 tourist destinations,” commented Ainhoa del Val Cenarruzabeitia, Head of IoT and Smart Cities Marketing at Telefónica Spain, who highlighted the “scalable and standardized” nature of the platform. “The key is data standardization through UNE standards, which guarantees interoperability between systems.”

The PID will also focus on sustainability and decongesting overcrowded destinations. John Mora, Vice President of Ametic, considered this a priority. “It will allow real-time monitoring of saturation in specific locations and the application of strategies.” “Dissuasive measures to redistribute the flow of tourists,” he explained.

For his part, Polo highlighted the platform's collateral effects, such as the improvement of citizen services: “Occupancy and deployment data will allow public administrations to anticipate future needs and optimize resources.” He also noted that the PID will act as an accelerator of business digitalization, helping SMEs integrate into the digital tourism ecosystem. The debate concluded with an international perspective. “Spain is laying the foundations for the world's first sectoral digital public infrastructure for tourism, positioning us as a global benchmark,” Mora said. For all four participants, this model is “replicable in other countries”.

In its first phase it will connect around 25,000 tourism SMEs
One of the most notable benefits of the Smart Destination Platform (SDP) is its ability to integrate SMEs in the tourism sector into the digital ecosystem. At the working breakfast, experts agreed on the positive impact this tool will have even on small businesses, facilitating their access to strategic information generated by the destinations themselves.

John Mora, Vice President of Ametic’s Smart Cities Commission, explained that the project will connect 25,000 SMEs in its first phase: “The data provided by destinations will be accessible to small tourism businesses, enabling them to plan their offer better and meet tourists’ needs in real time.” For her part, Ainhoa del Val Cenarruzabeitia stressed that this represents “an opportunity to democratize the use of data,” especially for businesses “that until now had not had access to advanced digital tools.”

Arrival forecasts
The Director of New Technologies and Business Development at Segittur highlighted the importance of this approach: “Many small businesses do not have the capacity to generate their own data, but they can benefit from the data contributed by destinations.”

Flores added that the platform will include strategic planning services, such as tourist arrival forecasts or recommendations for optimizing resources.

According to these experts, access to tourism intelligence will give SMEs the opportunity to “improve their competitiveness” by adapting their products and services to tourists’ needs in real time. “If a destination knows that thousands of cruise passengers are going to arrive, it can alert local businesses so they can adjust their opening hours and services,” Flores illustrated.

But the SDP will not only benefit small businesses; it will also act as a driver of digitalization, encouraging more traditional companies to adapt to the new technological reality. According to Osmar Polo, CEO of T-Systems, “SMEs that digitalize will see their business opportunities increase, thanks to better knowledge of tourists and the market.”

Tackling overcrowding in critical destinations
Tourist overcrowding in critical locations is one of the most pressing problems that the Smart Destination Platform (SDP) will help address. Thanks to technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced data analytics, destinations will be able to monitor visitor levels in real time and detect areas at risk of overcrowding.
At this working breakfast, John Mora (Ametic) explained that the platform will “improve the visitor experience and, at the same time, ease the pressure on residents and the local environment,” with the aim of putting an end to the current “tourismphobia.”
Laura Flores, from Segittur, added that this technology will optimize tourism planning by suggesting real-time “alternative routes, visits or activities” depending on the destination’s situation. This redistribution will foster more balanced and sustainable tourism development for the benefit of all stakeholders involved.