Around 100 professionals took part in a meeting in Málaga focused on bringing businesses and destinations practical information about the opportunities data and artificial intelligence offer for the development of Andalusia’s tourism industry. Titled “Connected Tourism: Data, Artificial Intelligence and Collaboration,” the event was organised by the Regional Ministry of Tourism, Justice, Deregulation and Local Administration through Andalucía Nexus. It showed how sector participants can prepare to use these technologies realistically.
Tourism Secretary-General Manuel Lara said the industry faces the challenge of “ensuring that the right visitor arrives at the most suitable time and place, so that the visit creates value for the business, the area and its residents.” He said technology should have a purpose, such as finding those customers or making better decisions.
Closing the event, Lara said digital transformation should allow people to spend more time on what adds real value: serving people. He said Andalucía Nexus connects knowledge, technology, destinations and businesses to explore new ways to use data and turn it into useful decisions.
Lara stressed that innovation should not be the preserve of large companies, but should be accessible and useful to businesses with limited resources. He said events like this one help the sector interpret and share data and turn it into knowledge. He also said technology should strengthen the qualities that make Andalusia’s tourism industry distinctive, including talent, hospitality, creativity and its ability to offer unique experiences.
Through practical case studies and real-world examples, participants learned how to make better use of available information to generate tourism intelligence, understand demand, improve promotion and sales, and make more effective decisions. The meeting also introduced the European Tourism Data Space, including what joining the new ecosystem entails, the opportunities it offers businesses and destinations, and how to begin sharing and using data securely and collaboratively.
The programme included presentations on useful data and reliable sources for decision-making, audience analysis to design effective promotional campaigns, and opportunities Nexus offers to improve tourism competitiveness, among other topics.