E course
Online course in Smart Tourism
According to the European Commission, smart tourism “responds to new challenges and demands in a fast-changing sector, including the evolution of digital tools, products and services, equal opportunity and access for all visitors, sustainable local area development, and support to creative industries, local talent and heritage”.
The main objectives of the SMARTOUR project are to:
Create a training course for VET students and workers in the tourism sector based on the latest trends and needs of the tourism sector.
To provide easy tools that can be adopted and adapted by small destinations and small operators and entrepreneurs.
Enhance the employability of VET students and workers in the tourism sector.
SMARTOUR project is considered a Continuing VET (C-VET) proposal. C-VET takes place after initial education and training or after beginning working life. It aims to upgrade knowledge, help citizens acquire new skills, and retrain and further personal and professional development. The Europe 2020 strategy emphasizes smart, sustainable and inclusive growth to overcome the structural weaknesses in Europe's economy, improve its competitiveness and productivity and underpin a sustainable social market economy. One of the project’s objectives is to increase the capacity of trainers to provide training in sustainability concepts and the project will offer them innovative materials in digital means that can be used and adapted to provide training in sustainable tourism to VET students from these areas. This would be done by promoting innovative practices through e-learning courses and enabling workers to update and acquire new skills and knowledge useful for their everyday work.
The main results of the project are:
R1 Best practices report in Smart Tourism.
R2- Online course in Smart Tourism
R3- Compilation of Open Accessible IT tools to put into practice the theoretical content of the course.
R4 Pilots with VET students and workers of the tourism sector.
Summary
​
According to the European Commission, smart tourism “responds to new challenges and demands in a fast-changing sector, including the evolution of digital tools, products and services; equal opportunity and access for all visitors; sustainable development of the local area; and support to creative industries, local talent and heritage.”
The SMARTOUR project and the e-learning course have been developed having this definition in mind. The course is structured in seven training modules to help any VET student or tourism operator to understand what smart tourism is and implement techniques and new ideas to become smarter and more sustainable.
At the end of the course you will find a survey to help us to assess the quality of the modules and if improvements on the quality of the contents are needed.
What is Smart Tourism?
According to UN Tourism Glossary (2025) a tourism destination is “a physical space with or without administrative and/or analytical boundaries in which a visitor can spend an overnight. It is the cluster (co-location) of products and services, and of activities and experiences along the tourism value chain and a basic unit of analysis of tourism. A destination incorporates various stakeholders and can network to form larger destinations. It is also intangible with its image and identity which may influence its market competitiveness”.
Smart tourism refers to the application of modern technologies in tourism to improve the travel experience and enhance the efficiency of destinations. By using digital tools such as mobile apps, geolocation, data analytics and interactive platforms, visitors receive personalized information as well as real-time access to the content. Smart tourism enables better organization and reduces the negative impacts of mass tourism, helping cities manage tourist flows, reduce congestion, and provide tourists with valuable and sustainable services. The key purpose of smart tourism is to create an interactive and personalized experience for tourists, as part of an innovative tourism offer, using technology as a tool to enhance mobility and tourist engagement.
According to Lopez de Avila (2015, n.p.) smart tourism destination is “an innovative tourist destination, built on an infrastructure of state-of-the-art technology guaranteeing the sustainable development of tourist areas, accessible to everyone, which facilitates the visitor’s interaction with and integration into his or her surroundings, increases the quality of the experience at the destination, and improves residents’ quality of life”. According to the European Commission, the concept of "smart tourism" is the development of digital tools to connect destinations, operators, and guests with various products and services that together support the sustainable development of local communities, both within new creative industries and cultural heritage. In summary, smart tourism seeks to contribute to making tourism sustainable and accessible to all.
A comprehensive definition of sustainable tourism is inspired by Andrew Holden's (2000) book, Environment and Tourism, which summarizes that sustainable tourism takes into account the economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism in both the short and long term while ensuring that resources are preserved, promoting social justice, and supporting local communities.
Overall Learning Outcomes of the Course
By the end of the SMARTOUR e-course, learners will be able to:
-
Understand and apply the principles of smart, sustainable, and inclusive tourism
-
Use digital tools and technologies to improve tourism services
-
Develop innovative business ideas and sustainable practices
-
Analyse real-life case studies and implement best practices
-
Enhance employability and professional development in the tourism sector
​
Our consortium
