Hallazgos iniciales de la evaluación de Holguín para su desarrollo como destino turístico inteligente

Abstract

Presently, the development of smart tourist destinations represents a priority, which constitutes, at the same time, an essential tool for the sector progress as wells as for society in general. For a tourist destination to be considered as a smartly managed destination, numerous and constantly evolving factors should be taken into account: improvement of internal management processes as well as marketing processes; supplying network management; constant research which allows adaptation not only to demand but also to clients' cultural characteristics. These elements can be grouped into five main fields: technology, innovation, governance, sustainability and accessibility. The effect of these aspects on the continuous improvement of destinations and their capacity to compete in a global economy depends on good management. Holguin is an important tourist destination on the northeastern part of the Island, which possesses valuable assets such as accessibility, relevant cultural and natural tourist attractions plus the required infrastructure for its tourist development. Therefore, this research aims at assessing tourist market management in Holguín destination in view of its development as smart tourist destination. The determination of variables to be used in the assessment was carried out through an analysis of similarities. Subsequently, a case study was applied in order to specify the aspects showing favorable outcomes as well as the indicators demanding changes so that Holguín may develop as a smart tourism destination.