DEVELOPMENT OF A SMART TOURISM DESTINATION

This monograph presents a summary of theory and good practices, research results, and a model and strategy for the development of a smart tourism destination using the Varna Municipality in Bulgaria as an example. It begins with a theoretical overview and analysis of the characteristics of smart cities and smart tourism, sustainable development of tourism and tourism destinations, aspects of urban planning and management of a tourism destination, and application of modern digital technologies in tourism. The authors develop a human-centric model for a smart and sustainable tourism destination. Building on the model, they elaborate on a methodology for the evaluation and analysis of destinations as being smart and sustainable and apply this evaluation to four destinations in the Balkan region in Europe. The authors produce, in the end, an easy-to-adapt framework for the development of a smart tourism destination across different geographic regions.