Ainhoa Carballido, director of the CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona: ‘It's time to move from guessing to showing what's happening with the confluence of AI and tourism’.

• This is the fifth edition of the CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona. How has it evolved over time?  

It is a biennial congress, so it is now five editions and 10 years old. In the other editions, Smart Tourism has been discussed from a very transversal point of view, where technology has always been a tool to achieve responsible, sustainable, efficient and competitive tourism management. With this fifth edition, we are keeping the essence, but we are going one step further by putting a special emphasis on technology.

• What's new this year? 

One of the major innovations of this year's edition is that the programme will last three days, one day longer than usual. In addition, there will no longer be a separation between professionals and academics, but everyone will share sessions with cross-cutting presentations, professional tracks and academic tracks, a change that enriches the congress by promoting knowledge transfer and creating synergies. 

This year we are launching the Tech Tourism Games: The Decentralized Hackaton, a 24-hour technology competition where participants will try to solve challenges with technological solutions related to artificial intelligence. On the other hand, we have increased the number of places in The Student Innovation Team, an innovation club made up of students, a novelty from the previous edition that facilitates their active participation in the congress. This is an initiative that offers many opportunities for students, as it gives them access to scenarios that are usually reserved for professionals.

• Why focus on artificial intelligence for the 5th edition of the congress? 

We believe that smart tourism is already a reality in the sector. Smart policies applied to tourism are already a reality, they have been in place for more than 20 years, they are growing and evolving. Therefore, we believe that now is the time to look at the technology from a more technical point of view. That is why we have decided to focus on a single theme in this issue: When IA meets tourism.

• When AI meets tourism. How does artificial intelligence relate to smart tourism?  

"When artificial intelligence meets tourism" is exactly what has happened. Two giants are meeting head-on, getting to know each other: a technology of the magnitude of artificial intelligence and one of the most voluminous industries, tourism. It is time to find out what happens in this confluence: after years of academic research on what AI is, it is time to talk about its use and impact on tourism. Knowing what is happening, when it is happening, why and how.

• What are the challenges for the tourism sector in terms of artificial intelligence? 

The confluence is entering a stage of maturity where it can already produce results in an academic and scientific context. At the Congress, we have identified 9 lines of research that coexist between Artificial Intelligence, Smart Tourism and the use of other technologies, in order to understand their current impact from different points of view, including Smart Tourism, its conformation, the uses it favours and the behaviour and experience of travellers towards AI. 

• Coming back to the hackathon, could you tell us about its role within the congress? 

The hackathon will start on the second day of the congress and will last until the end of the congress. It will be divided into two tracks: one on artificial intelligence, and the other on blockchain and tourism. I can't mention the challenges that will be tackled, because anyone reading this interview would have an advantage over the rest of the competitors, but I can tell you about the challenging companies: Huawei, Vueling, NubemSystem and Wipass. 

This is an activity organised with the Tech Tourism Cluster and in collaboration with UN Tourism. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that the congress has the support of the City Council of Barcelona, the Provincial Council of Barcelona, the UB Chair of Tourism, Televia and Gastronomy CUE.

• Who is the congress aimed at? 

As with all events of this kind, the main target groups are academia, industry and the student community at large. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all those reading to find out more about our speakers, our programme, our workshops, our Student Innovation Team and our Tech Tourism Games (Hackathon).  

Do not miss the opportunity to experience this event, we are waiting for you at the V CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona on the 27th, 28th and 29th of November at the Hotel Universitario Alimara.