Smart tourism destinations and covid-19

Abstract

The exponential growth experienced by the tourism sector in recent years has been offset by the emergence of problems such as conflicts with residents in tourist areas, rising living standards, high emissions of greenhouse gases, and overcrowding of public spaces, among others. Additionally, the COVID-19 health crisis has had a directly affected people’s mobility and social relationships, having a major impact on the hospitality and tourism sector. Therefore, a change of approach is required in the tourism industry sector involving the development of successful models and experiences to reduce the associated harmful effects. Research into tourism destinations involves the study of the concept of smart tourism destinations (SDs), a new form of tourism based on technology, accessibility, and environmental sustainability while also taking emotional needs into account. Despite the rise in studies evaluating the contribution of SDs as part of the solution to the COVID-19 crisis and its consequences on tourist behavior, sustainability, and tourism technology, so far, no studies have provided a synthesized idea of the inter-relationship between COVID-19 and SDs. By means of a comprehensive literature review of research dealing with COVID-19 and tourism, the current study addresses two main research questions: (i) how could SDs help to solve the problems associated with the COVID-19 crisis in the tourism management domain, and (ii) what are the trends in tourist behavior, sustainability, and tourism technology derived from the COVID-19 crisis? The findings could allow a better understanding of tourism management in the short and medium term.