Digital Tourism Think Tank © 2024
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Check out the sessions below, from interactive sprints to amazing keynotes. Programme is subject to change.
A roundtable dedicated to progressive approaches to destination management and leadership.
A roundtable dedicated to exchanging insights about how DMOs support tourism entrepreneurs.
A roundtable dedicated to discussing the various marketing technologies used by DMOs.
An original and fun tour to experience Athens out of the ordinary! During this 1.5-hour walk weâll discover the surprising and bustling street art scene of Athens, accompanied by a real street artist as our guide. From edgy outdoor murals to elaborate stencils and raw graffiti, weâll get to know the city through street art and understand whatâs really happening in the core. The areas visited are Thissio, Gazi, Metaxourgeio, Psiri.
Get ready to dive in! We'll kick things off with a warm welcome and opening remarks and provide a brief overview of the event's agenda, highlight some key takeaways you can expect and set the stage for an exciting and informative experience.
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This session delves into the innovative spirit transforming the Greek tourism sector, showcasing how Marketing Greece is blending tradition with technology, sustainability with luxury and local experiences with global appeal. Nikos Diamantopoulos will present Marketing Greece's innovation projects and explore challenges and enablers related to the 4 key pillars of innovation (Collaboration; Sustainability; Digitalisation; Culture-Tourism blend).
How can destinations use creativity to overcome their challenges? We'll discuss how Visit SkĂ„ne effortlessly combines innovation with design thinking to generate significant impact, even with limited resources. HelĂ©ne Ăstberg's interview will highlight the Recruitment Without Barriers project and how the DMO is helping empower the workforce through skills development and capacity building. Continuing this theme of capacity building, Eleni Mami & Haris Vasilakos will share how Vamvakou Revival's collaborative space supports businesses to innovate, engage in networking and identify potential funding sources and how tourism can be a fundamental component of innovation clusters to boost local economies in a sustainable manner. We'll learn how rural areas can build their own futures by promoting the development of new business ideas and how Vamvakou Revival actively contributes to the Greek tourism innovation ecosystem through its incubator programme. Eleni & Haris will go into detail about how the 11 SMEs supported by the initiative and the role tourism plays in revitalising the Greek countryside in Vamvakou and the wider region of the Peloponnese. We'll also learn how tourism can be a platform that brings locals and residents together in a collaborative manner. Chieko Tanaka will discuss the spirit of tourism and how it should be cherished by everyone. Initiatives such as Touristship show potential for building strong communities, with workshops an effective tool to help build understanding and eliminate biases and assumptions between visitors and residents.
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This interactive co-design workshop will help identify how to overcome bias in the destination and validate assumptions before ideating places with a purpose, imagining a better future and the journey required to achieve it. The workshop will also empower you to build effective engagement strategies with all stakeholders and reimagine your destination, placing sustainability at the core of all activities and how emerging technologies will enable us to implement this vision.
AI can support travel planning and personalisation, but how can companies ensure accuracy and strong brand experiences? Kevin OâShaughnessy will share how CityHook has built an aggregator for travel journeys that takes every blockage point, such as queues and interchanges, into consideration to present the full picture and alleviate travel anxiety. He'll highlight the challenges of integrating different data sources into a single platform and how a user-focused mindset helps take AI tools to the next level, bringing stronger visitor satisfaction.
This interactive co-design workshop empowers you to explore the innovative applications of AI and how it's revolutionising travel planning and destination exploration through enhanced personalisation. You'll learn how to bring new AI tools to life; identifying core functions, understanding diverse data needs and creating a vision for user engagement.
AI-generated imagery has generated a lot of attention, dividing opinions as to its ethics and authenticity. Maria Paola Forleo will shine a light on how artists and generative AI can co-create, unlocking a new kind of storytelling based on constant transformation. The artwork 'Milan, Factory of the Future' uses literary references of Milan to create engaging audiovisual content, blending authentic perspectives and AI-powered artistry. Maria Paola will share insights about how airports can be a strong actor in destination promotion, highlighting the example of the âNice to meet youâ project - initiated by MEET Digital Culture Center and SEA Milan Airports. Utilising LED screens to entertain transfer passengers, the creative approach redefines perceptions of Milan and shapes the city's reputation, building travel inspiration for future visitors.
Will the warm smile of a human ambassador soon be replaced by the cold logic of AI? In this session, we will discuss whether AI can ever truly replace the human touch. Kevin StĂ€uble will highlight how AI tools are reshaping the tourism landscape through hyper-personalised travel experiences, acting as a catalyst for more conscious and independent exploration. He'll share how AI tools can help DMOs and travel organisations with knowledge management and visitor profiling, enhancing the drive towards the individualisation of trip itineraries. Jutta Stienen will present how MySwitzerland and Visit DĂŒsseldorf leverage the expertise of locals to share recommendations with web visitors in real-time. She will also highlight how the integration of ChatGPT technology helps to combine AI with community.
This interactive co-design workshop delves into the evolving landscape of brand advocacy, exploring the contrasts and potential synergies between brand ambassadors and AI-powered conversational marketing. Co-create innovative strategies that leverage the strengths of both approaches to captivate audiences and drive meaningful engagement through effective storytelling.
Welcome Back! Ready to build on yesterday's momentum? We're thrilled to welcome you back for day two! Join us as we kick things off with a quick recap and a sneak peek at what exciting sessions and activities await you today.
How can sustainability be facilitated at a local level? In this session, Spyridon Kagkas will share how Athens has transformed in the aftermath of a GSTC destination assessment and how perspectives for managing the destination shifted. We'll learn about the importance of brand ambassadors in connecting visitors and locals by sharing an authentic side of local culture. As a sustainability and DEI advocate for Athens, Spyridon will talk about the 'This is Athens with a Local' project that he is in charge of and how the initiative showcases the diversity of the city's residents and encourages visitors to take walks with a local to see the hidden treasures and understand why they are important to residents.
Discover how authenticity and sustainability combine to deliver engaging visitor experiences! Tina Kyriakis will talk about how local guides can carefully curate award-winning tours that combat destination stereotypes and the journey Alternative Athens has been on since its founding in 2013 to the present. She will also share how her latest initiative 'Back to the Routes' builds carbon-neutral tours to explore lesser-known locations in Greece, with visitor experiences enhanced through an app that serves all user needs including digital storytelling, itinerary planning and GPS tracking.
In this session, Konstantinos Papakonstantinou and Cheryl Novak will share how tour operators can partner with destination policymakers to design a comprehensive multi-year plan for long-term destination prosperity, benefitting both residents and visitors. We'll discover the short-term impact of the 2023 wildfires in Rhodes and how the destination is quickly rebounding through its collaborative focus on regenerative tourism. In particular, the importance of widespread infrastructure development and education will be highlighted as a key component for supporting the drive towards carbon neutrality by 2030, water and waste management and improving the accessibility of the destination. Complementing the upgrading of facilities, we'll learn how visitor experiences will be enhanced through reforestation activities and the restoration of monuments, alongside leveraging horizon technologies, such as AR, VR and 3D maps.
Digital tools are transforming the industry, but how can we ensure this progress happens in harmony with the environment and local communities? This workshop empowers you to chart a course towards a sustainable and digital future for tourism, where co-creation pools different voices, needs and priorities to shape a vision for tourism that reflects the opinions of all stakeholders.
Discover the immersive future of destinations with the world's first certified Smart Tourist Destination! While XR is underestimated by the sector, with other mega trends such as generative AI getting the limelight. In this interactive session, Antonio SĂĄnchez will share the innovative spirit of Visit Benidorm and explain how being an early mover on tech developments brings significant brand impact. He'll showcase the day-to-day tools and technologies used by the DMO for content creation and to enhance tourism experiences.
Join Angela Bustillos as she unveils the transformative potential of cutting-edge technologies: Augmented Reality (AR), NFTs and Blockchain in reshaping visitor experiences. This session will dive into how these technologies extend traveller engagement, boost brand loyalty and amplify sales and marketing efforts while simultaneously prioritising sustainability. Discover a groundbreaking system for Loyalty & Reward, leveraging blockchain to merge the digital with the physical, creating unforgettable, human-centred journeys in cultural, urban and experiential realms. Be inspired by the fusion of technology and creativity and explore how this synergy and system can elevate the tourism industry.
This interactive co-design workshop empowers you to develop unique ideas to leverage the potential of Web 3.0 technologies to create maximum brand impact. This includes strategising how horizon technologies can captivate audiences and ignite global conversations through creative applications of XR, blockchain, NFTs and biometrics.
In this session, Franziska Sunderland will share how Visit DĂŒsseldorf strategically positions events to drive long-term positive change. She'll start by setting the scene, sharing data and insights into the importance of the MICE sector for the city. She'll also outline how Visit DĂŒsseldorf follows an annual calendar of events to provide consistency in building the image of the destination as an attractive host for events. With this in mind, Franziska will highlight the transformative legacy of mega-events hosted by the city in recent years, including the Tour de France Grand Depart (2017), MTV European Music Award (2022) and Invictus Games (2023) before delving into the DMO's strategy for upcoming events such as the UEFA Euro 2024 and University Games 2025. Throughout all of this, Franziska will explain the importance of data and content to ensure the success of large-scale events and how AI will become increasingly important in driving competitiveness and ensuring ambitious targets are achieved.
Dive into the heart of innovation! This session explores the tangible results and learnings from experimenting with new technology to transform the tourism landscape. Flora Reeve and Curtis Wake will give an in-depth look at the successes, challenges and practical takeaways from their first-hand experiences of driving innovation in Newcastle. Flora will showcase the value of expanding marketing activities onto new channels, explaining how she convinced the DMO to launch a TikTok account to better position Newcastle as a trendy destination. She'll share about the day-to-day experimentation in producing and sharing the most engaging content that reframes attitudes towards North East England and the KPIs that determine success. Curtis will discuss the everlasting importance of destination websites in visitors decision making journey and in-destination experiences. He'll highlight the brand impact of developing new features to optimise user experiences, ensuring the DMO remains agile to changes in visitor behaviour and technological trends. In particular, Curtis will outline how he developed a Geordie-themed ChatBot and how it communicated the city's culture in a fun and memorable way to create a return on investment.
