Between Tourism Personalisation, Sustainability, and the Challenge of Not Losing Its Soul

"We are on the brink of the next great revolution: artificial intelligence." With this reflection from Nuria Montes, Secretary General of Hosbec, the Tourism Forum organised by the Vocento group, in collaboration with TODO ALICANTE and LAS PROVINCIAS, began at Terra Mítica. Experts from the sector analysed how innovation is reshaping travel and tourism management, while remembering that, at its core, it remains a very human sector.

Isaac Vidal, Commercial Director of AR Hoteles, opened the debate by recalling that "the great technological revolution has occurred mainly in the distribution model and the post-stay moment." Before travelling, tourists consult and decide with a single click; during their stay, they value the agility and personalisation of services; and afterwards, their opinions influence the future of businesses. "Today, content is generated by the user, and their evaluation determines the choice of subsequent customers," he explained.

Raúl García, founder of Digital Tourism Marketing, summarised this change in two words: "personalisation and immediacy." According to him, travellers no longer want a generic proposal, but rather "to find on their mobile the exact experience they are looking for at that moment," which forces both large and small companies to provide immediate and ultra-personalised responses.

For her part, Nuria Montes recalled the enormous transformation that the internet once represented, followed by the revolution of mobile devices. "Now we are living on the brink of the next great revolution: artificial intelligence," she noted. A technology that will once again change the way we travel, plan, purchase, and consume destinations.

For Fermín Crespo, General Director of Ciudad de la Luz, innovation also translates into the rise of screen tourism. "Series, films, and shoots turn spaces into aspirational destinations. More than 80 million people decide their travels based on what they see on screen. If we know how to take advantage of it, we can turn our land into a global audiovisual reference," he affirmed.

Artificial intelligence, big data, virtual and augmented reality, and system integration dominate the conversation in the sector. Isaac Vidal explained that in hotel management, for example, the PMS (Property Management System) must connect with the booking engine and online reputation tools to achieve real personalisation. "We are moving from shotgun marketing to sniper marketing," he illustrated, highlighting that the key is not the brand of technology used, but "how many specific segments and interests you manage of your clients to offer them what they really want."

The speakers also pointed out that technology is also an ally of sustainability. Nuria Montes emphasised that tourists no longer see sustainability as an extra, but as a requirement. She spoke of the hotel sector's commitment to renewable energies, self-consumption, and efficiency systems that not only reduce the environmental footprint but also secure the future of the destination.

Fermín Crespo added that tools like augmented reality allow for the conservation of historical or natural spaces, offering the same experience to millions of people without damaging them.

But sustainability is not only environmental. It is also about labour. Nuria Montes was blunt: "We increasingly want to go out to eat or travel, but fewer and fewer people want to work in this sector. We must improve conditions and attract talent, relying on technology to create quality jobs."

Despite its advantages, everyone agreed that technology cannot replace human contact. Isaac Vidal revealed that, in the era of virtual assistants, the most repeated phrase in call centres remains: "I want to speak with an operator." Meanwhile, Raúl García warned of the danger of dehumanisation and the loss of local authenticity. "With so much digitalisation and so many tourist developments, we run the risk of everything becoming the same. Those places with soul, where you know they bring you the best fish from their cousin's market, are what we cannot allow to disappear," he reflected.

The panel agreed on the difficulty of attracting stable and motivated professionals to an increasingly competitive sector. Montes highlighted the importance of offering attractive career paths and stability. "We have an excessively rigid labour market that does not adapt to new, more flexible and attractive forms of employment for young people," she lamented.

Meanwhile, Fermín Crespo added that tourism remains the great economic engine and offers a horizon of stability for those who choose it as a professional career. "But we have to communicate it better and dignify all profiles, including those in service and customer care, not just those in the kitchen or management."

In conclusion, technological innovation is transforming tourism at an unstoppable pace, creating immense opportunities for those who know how to adapt. But it also poses a crucial challenge: not to lose sight of the fact that behind every data point, screen, and algorithm, there is a person who travels not only to see but to feel, discover, and connect with the authentic.