In the past, tourism businesses used to rely on paper brochures or leaflets to provide information about certain areas to tourists during their tours. However, with the advancement of technology, particularly during what is known as the “Digital Revolution”, these materials have become obsolete.

The digital revolution is a process that is based on the use of technologies and data economy through the development and design of interconnected platforms, powered by relevant actors in a specific sector.

In this sense, Spain stands out as one of the world’s leading references in terms of Sustainable Tourism, driven by the development of public-private partnerships and the use of artificial intelligence. This approach is in the midst of a transformation process. Spain has developed comprehensive data platforms powered by all tourism stakeholders, including the State, businesses, industries and tourists, which has generated a true Digital Revolution in the field of Circular Tourism.

This strategy has enabled Spain to position itself at the pinnacle of the Sustainable Tourism model worldwide, creating attractive new business models and providing effective tools to tackle climate change.

During the development and refinement phase of this new system, the Spaniards cultivated a spirit of trust between all parties involved. The aim was to create a quality and transparent information platform based on a collective data model. As a result, a tool was created that provided tourists with useful, relevant, modern, instant and personalised information. This led to the generation of new business models and higher quality and environmentally responsible tourists.

In particular, in Chile, MSMEs in the Coquimbo Region are moving forward in the transformation process in the face of the threat posed by climate change to their tourism destinations and products. This new model of digital revolution promises significant benefits for tourism stakeholders in the area by improving their business models and encouraging the arrival of a new tourist profile. The digital transformation will provide greater efficiency to existing business models thanks to the feedback it fosters with the various value chains. It will also open up destinations to the world, many of which are currently little known.

A notable example in Spain is the company Biotren, which, by being aware of the importance of contributing and sharing its data, managed to significantly improve the promotion and pricing of its rooms. In this way, the contribution and sharing of data in the system contributes to improved efficiency, customer satisfaction and business benefits.

Undoubtedly, this process of digital evolution presents numerous challenges, which are closely linked to the development of quality tourism education, the existence of technological barriers and the lack of trust between tourism stakeholders, as well as the governance of the system itself. Moreover, the dizzying technological advance, which is progressing at great speed and is complemented by the new tool of artificial intelligence, forces all stakeholders to get involved and not to be left behind in this important change.