Abstract
This article contributes to the analysis of the relationship between urban renewal processes and sustainable development in mature beach destinations and the adoption of smart tourism. It takes as its case study Spanish destinations taking part in publicly-funded projects and plans designed to convert them into so-called “smart destinations” (SD). Its chief goals are to identify, through the Delphi technique, the smart tourism narrative behind the drive for creating SD, as well as to see how good a fit this is with the strategic positionings of mature destinations seeking to halt their decline or take on a new lease of life by introducing sustainability measures. Based on a review of the existing literature, we perform a critical analysis of this narrative to expose the contradictions arising when it is applied as a tool for urban renewal based on the implementation of sustainability strategies. The results aid with progress in two directions. Firstly, the article contributes new conceptual elements on the role of SD in the urban transformation of tourist destinations as a response to the challenges of global competitiveness. The second contribution, which is applied in nature and based on the study of a variety of Spanish tourist destinations, analyzes the impact the application of smart tourism-based technological solutions may have upon sustainability. Specifically, it examines the actions of different mass tourism beach destinations and discusses their actual ability to foster renewal in the field of tourism and offer solutions for overcoming urban sustainability problems. Lastly, it offers some recommendations for mature beach destination managers interested in implementing smart tourism projects based on sustainability criteria.
Highlights
Following the trail blazed by their sustainable predecessors, “smart cities” have become a ubiquitous figurehead for a global urban future and the leitmotif of discourses on urban development [1]
Cities specializing in mass tourism “sun and sand” holidays at a mature stage of their lifecycle are especially proactive in the creation of smart destinations” (SD), which are attractive to this kind of destination, since their narrative positions them as examples of cities able to promote tourism competitiveness improvement processes with the intensive use of technological solutions, which in turn foster sustainability as the cornerstone of the destination’s management strategy [5]
We examine how the narratives on smart destinations correspond to neoliberal storylines focusing on tourism development through technology as an opportunity to create a dynamic, wealthy, and competitive city
Summary
Following the trail blazed by their sustainable predecessors, “smart cities” have become a ubiquitous figurehead for a global urban future and the leitmotif of discourses on urban development [1]. This ubiquity is evidenced by both the sheer extent to which smart city concepts and politics are circulated, to the point of creating a “global discourse network” [2], and by the proliferation of initiatives worldwide [3]. Cities that are tourist destinations have not been immune to this trend and have developed their own smart city model, adapting the general concepts to fit with their character as urban centers specializing in tourism production and consumption. Cities specializing in mass tourism “sun and sand” holidays at a mature stage of their lifecycle are especially proactive in the creation of SD, which are attractive to this kind of destination, since their narrative positions them as examples of cities able to promote tourism competitiveness improvement processes with the intensive use of technological solutions, which in turn foster sustainability as the cornerstone of the destination’s management strategy [5]
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