CETT-UB brings together experts in smart tourism at the 3rd CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona

. The reactivation of tourism from solutions linked to smart tourism, female leadership or entrepreneurship, are some of the issues to be discussed at the congress.

. The congress, which is to be held online this year, will consist of three days: professional, entrepreneurial, and academic.

CETT, a higher education center of reference in tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy affiliated to the University of Barcelona, celebrates on November 11th and 12th the III CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona. The congress will address from a multidisciplinary perspective the experiences and ultimate solutions to face the challenges of smart tourism and the impacts derived from the COVID-19 crisis. The meeting will bring together experts linked to smart tourism to analyze and debate this phenomenon in depth from different perspectives.

The congress, which will be held in a virtual format this year, will consist of three days: the professional one, aimed at academics and relevant actors in the tourism sector; the entrepreneurial one, focused on the presentation of unique projects that contribute to the transformation of the tourism sector; and, finally, the academic one, designed for researchers and students to share and discuss outstanding and cutting-edge scientific contributions in the framework of intelligent tourism.

'CETT's mission is the generation and transmission of expert knowledge to provide value to the sector, promoting the connection between students and the business world thanks to the relationship we have with companies and referents in the sector. The CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona is an excellent example of this', points out Dr. Maria Abellanet, CETT's CEO. She adds that 'sharing views and debating the challenges and opportunities for the future of smart tourism is key for a sector that will have to be transformed and sustained by innovation, sustainability, and social cohesion'.

In this line, Dr.José Antonio Pérez-Aranda, director of the organizing committee of the III CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona, points out: 'in this edition, we have the challenge of organizing the congress in an online format while maintaining the essence and objectives of the meeting to create a space to share experiences and knowledge with leading speakers and experts.

The reactivation of tourism through smart management, under discussion

The recovery of the tourism sector, one of the most affected industries by the COVID-19 crisis, will be an issue to debate on our Professional Day at a round table. Under the title "Security and the recovery of confidence as key factors for the revival of tourism." several experts in the sector will share proposals and solutions for the management of companies and destinations in the context of the crisis caused by the coronavirus.

For its part, the Entrepreneurs Day, which will take place on November 11 in the afternoon, will focus on entrepreneurship and female leadership to restore health to tourism. The day will feature the participation of Natalia Bayona, director of innovation, digital transformation, and investment of the World Tourism Organization and will bring together entrepreneurs who will talk about the creation, development, and management of projects of their areas of expertise.

To close the meeting on Academic Day, researchers and students will share their views on two thematic lines: the smart management of tourism and digitalization in companies and tourist destinations. During the session, issues such as the Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability, social and ethical responsibility in tourism, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, among others, will be discussed. CETT understands training and tourism from an ethical perspective, betting on values such as sustainability, social commitment, or hospitality, and promotes a tourism industry that makes explicit its responsibility and that provides value to society, economically, territorially, socially, and culturally.

The III CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona is an initiative of our higher education center, linked to the UB Chair of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy CETT. It has the collaboration of the University of Barcelona, the World Tourism Organization, the City of Barcelona, the Diputació de Barcelona, and the CETT Foundation. It stands as a platform to generate and share knowledge about the field of smart tourism. This year will focus on the challenges and opportunities caused by the COVID-19 health crisis for the smart management of destinations and businesses. With a firm commitment to social responsibility, with this congress, CETT wants to put the focus on efficient management through technology, innovation, and knowledge, to achieve more sustainable, accessible, and quality tourism with the involvement of all stakeholders.