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María Albarral
Marbella
Friday, 12 July 2024, 11:33
The Junta de Andalucía's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Arturo Bernal, announced on Wednesday the regional governments's objective to locate "the headquarters of the future European centre of competence in sustainable tourism and management through data" on the Costa del Sol, He explained that Marbella is the chosen destination because it is "an international benchmark" for sustainable tourism management.
The meeting took place in Marbella between Bernal and the technical team for the EU project Tourism of Tomorrow Lab. ToT Lab, as it is known, is the data science and management department of NECSTouR, a network of European regions set up in 2007 for sustainable and competitive tourism that brings together more than 40 regional authorities - including the Junta de Andalucía - and some thirty associate members.
Bernal explained that the headquarters of this centre of competence in sustainability, which will be promoted by the network following the mandate from the European Commission and European Parliament, will be located in one of the destinations that form part of NECStouR. He stated his wish to position Andalucía at the forefront "to promote and support" the future entity.
In this regard, the minister highlighted that Andalucía held the presidency of the network until 2023, now holding the vice-presidency while also being the "leader of the main projects" past and present. He said that this shows the commitment of the Andalusian government "to continue working on this and to achieve results that consolidate Andalucía as a benchmark in sustainable tourism management."
Bernal added that Andalucía is leading or working on seven European projects related to the development of sustainable and quality tourism, initiatives aimed at identifying and standardising variables "that allow European destinations to effectively measure sustainability."
Addressing the members of the working team Bernal highlighted Andalucía Lab's "efforts" to design the region's current and future innovation strategy, as well as the region's commitment to the use of indicators that guarantee that tourism activity generates positive impacts, benefits its residents and protects the territory.
The minister also noted that the ToT Lab project "supports regions to improve tourism analytics and encourage data-driven decision-making, ensuring sustainable benefits."
The success of this initiative is what has inspired the creation of the new data management centre, which is supported by international institutions such as UN Tourism, Eurostat and the OECD.
Bernal's final point was to argue that the proposal to locate this entity in Andalucía "seeks to establish a continuous channel of communication and collaboration" between the centre and other projects, Andalucía being "the ideal candidate because of its commitment to innovation and sustainability."
The project
The Tourism of Tomorrow Lab initiative will enable the development of new technologies that will help improve the tourist experience and efficiencies within the tourism industry, promote sustainable tourism by reducing its environmental impact, foster inclusive and global tourism and ensure access to tourism experiences for all.
Andalucía provides the ideal conditions to host this initiative as it is a leading tourist destination worldwide, as well as being the most visited region in Spain and a global leader in sustainable tourism.
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