12.5.2022
DiscussIT: Pandemic pushes smart tourism
Content in tourism and tech go hand in hand, and we need both to make the new tourism (time) more profitable and move away from offering only the sea and the sun.
Tech and the tourist year, unlike the short season depending on the weather, creating a culture of smart, the advantages of smart city, but also smart tourist destinations, all these were the topics of Combis' online panel 'DiscussIT: What happens when tourism meets IT?'
"Technology is the basis for a culture of smart that has yet to be built in our cities and tourist destinations, but for which there is more and more space, especially after the pandemic experience during which the use of digital tools has strengthened. The emphasis is on more innovative and efficient communication of a destination or company with tourists with the help of technology or an app that creates a high-quality user experience or simple payment for content or additional services proposed by a system based on tourist behavior. There is a plethora of possibilities and opportunities, there are hundreds of services and solutions", said Goran Car, CEO of Combis.
In addition to the lessons and experiences of the pandemic that pushed smart tourism into the spotlight, there was also talk about other potentials that Croatia has in tourism but does not use enough. "In IT lingo, Croatian tourism has matured to the 'next level', with a strong focus on content. It is time to raise the quality and build content of higher value, which will turn the tourist season into a tourist year", says Josipa Jutt Ferlan, director of the cluster of Hilton hotels in Zagreb and director of Zagreb City Hotels.
"To become more competitive in the tourism market, new values should be added to the natural elements of the offering that our country abounds in. IT contributes to systematic innovations in tourism through monitoring and adapting to modern trends and individualized requirements of tourists. The goal of our tourism is a satisfied guest through a diverse, authentic, indigenous, and continuously available offering of content in destinations tailored to specific target groups of tourists," said Daniela Gračan, a tenured professor at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management and head of the Department of Tourism.
"At Valamar, we consider digitalization an important segment in the company's strategic development. Valamar's digital department represents a link between business needs and IT infrastructure, which enables a focus on developing new products and services, and quality operational management of resources and platforms. In addition to generating significant revenues through direct digital channels, at 65% of total revenues, in recent years, we have made significant investments in digitalization and automation of processes in the human resources sector. We believe that this has contributed to Valamar holding the title TOP employer in tourism for years", said Marko Čižmek, member of the Management Board of Valamar Riviera.
DiscussIT panel footage is available on YouTube and LinkedIn platforms. DiscussIT was live-streamed on tportal.