Colombia is the only Latin American country that already has two smart tourist destinations, Bogotá and Medellín, in a firm commitment to tourism transformation
The addition of Bogotá represents a further step in the internationalization of the DTI model in Ibero-America
Bogotá is the third city in Latin America to be accredited as a Smart Tourist Destination, a distinction awarded by the State Society for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies (SEGITTUR), under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.
The badge will be delivered this afternoon by the president of SEGITTUR, Enrique Martínez Marín, to the mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López, in a ceremony attended by the Spanish ambassador to Colombia, Joaquín de Arístegui Laborde, as well as the highest representatives of the sector tourist of the Colombian capital.
The Smart Tourist Destination model, developed by Spain and endorsed by international organizations such as the World Tourism Organization, the Inter-American Development Bank, the OECD, the European Commission and the WTTC, is based on five axes (governance, innovation, technology, sustainability and accessibility) and evaluates more than 200 requirements.
Innovation, the axis of the DTI model of Bogotá
The president of SEGITTUR has valued the commitment that Bogotá has made to become a smart tourist destination, a step that involves great challenges, but also great opportunities to make the Colombian capital a destination that not only bets on innovation and technology, but also include sustainability and accessibility in its roadmap to respond to the needs of the new tourist in the post-Covid context.
Of the five axes analyzed, innovation is where Bogotá has obtained the best results, especially those linked to innovation ecosystems; after it, governance is included with a very outstanding efficiency in management; as well as technology and accessibility, sustainability being the axis where a greater effort is required to improve the recovery and conservation of the environment.
The report delivered to the Mayor’s Office highlights that Bogotá has worked with different initiatives such as the Bogotá Smart Territory policy, the Tourism Observatory, Spatial Data Infrastructure, the District Tourism Quality System, the District Tourism Fund or the commitment to the circular economy, that constitute fundamental elements to be a smart tourist destination.
Bogotá makes a strong commitment to innovation as a lever to take advantage of the opportunities and face the new challenges that arise in the tourism context, while promoting the innovation ecosystem in the destination, promoting open innovation and facilitating innovation in processes.
Regarding governance, the report indicates that the city has public-private collaboration structures, key in the smart destinations model, as well as coordination structures, planning tools and communication channels with visitors and residents.
Regarding technology, Bogotá already has smart signage, tourist intelligence systems, free Wi-Fi and a smart strategy plan, in addition to tourist applications and different online communication channels with tourists.
In terms of sustainability, the Colombian capital must improve in the field of environmental conservation, improvement and recovery.
In addition to the diagnostic report as a smart tourist destination, the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá has also received an action plan in which some actions are proposed to improve and be a 100% smart tourist destination.
The proposed actions include the development of a Smart Office for tourism promotion, the drafting of a sustainable mobility plan, the legal regulation of heritage and landscape protection, as well as the impulse to measure the carbon footprint generated by tourism and the implementation of technological solutions to facilitate accessibility in the mobility of tourists in the destination.
