Calvia, which has recently hosted the ABTA British travel convention, has renewed its Smart Tourist Destination certification under the DTI programme promoted by the Secretary of State for Tourism after successfully passing the review process that gives continuity to the commitment made by this council to exercise tourism management based on intelligence, using the DTI model as a basis.
The new recognition is valid for two years and is subject to a new renewal process, which means that the destination is subject to a process of continuous improvement, committing it to a renewal of its objectives and strategies and an adaptation to the needs of the future environment, leading to a revaluation of the destination through the five axes that underpin the DTI model: governance, sustainability, technology, innovation and accessibility.
Over the last few months, the evolution of the destination has been analysed since the diagnosis carried out in 2021. The review has been carried out using the current DTI methodology, comprising a total of 97 requirements and 261 indicators. The assessment has resulted in a new report setting out the situation of the destination and the recommendations that make up the action plan with which Calvia will be able to continue improving in terms of tourism management.
The conclusion of the assessment review provides continuity to the implementation and monitoring phase, which allows for verification that the standards set by the methodology are being maintained, thus guaranteeing the objectives pursued by the DTI programme. Calvia has been part of the Smart Tourist Destinations Network since February 2019, demonstrating the destination’s commitment to its tourism transformation, which has been achieved through the implementation of the Smart Tourist Destination methodology.
The implementation of the DTI methodology has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of all areas of Calvia Town Council, an institution which, thanks to the DTI, has this year received recognition from the Government of the Balearic Islands at the Nit del Turisme (Tourism Night). The Smart Tourist Destination programme is a project promoted by the Secretary of State for Tourism (SETUR) and managed by the State Company for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies (SEGITTUR), which aims to contribute to improving the competitiveness of tourist destinations and the quality of life of their residents by focusing on five areas of action: governance, innovation, technology, sustainability and accessibility.
This initiative, which arose from the 2012-2015 National and Comprehensive Tourism Plan, generates the appropriate mechanisms to facilitate the rapid incorporation of innovations in destinations.
The Smart Tourist Destination is defined as an innovative tourist destination, consolidated on a cutting-edge technological infrastructure, which guarantees the sustainable development of the tourist territory, accessible to all, facilitating the interaction and integration of visitors with the environment and increasing the quality of their experience at the destination and improving the quality of life of residents.
To achieve these objectives, the DTI programme promotes the implementation of a management model that takes into account the cross-cutting nature of tourism and the distinctive characteristics of each destination. It is based on a diagnostic methodology, based on 97 requirements and 261 indicators, which results in a system of recommendations, an action plan and a monitoring system, which make up the fundamental elements of the model, allowing for a process of continuous improvement in destination management adapted to the present and future challenges of tourism.