Interview with Fernando Molina
Author of the Tourist, Regenerative and Circular Intelligence System
Fernando Molina
Author of the Tourist, Regenerative and Circular Intelligence System
The Innovation Director of the Connect MTA Association is the creator of the Tourist, Regenerative and Circular Intelligence System (IT-RC) and founder of the “Factoría de Moreras CO2”, the first rural IT-RC center in Buñol (Valencia).
This center, located in a former forest nursery, houses “nature classrooms” that promote experiences focused on natural and cultural heritage, bio-entrepreneurship and environmental education for tourists and residents. It also has the “Impact Territory LAB +”, a laboratory specialized in measuring the impact of tourism on local communities through a Tourism Intelligence Unit. This unit, called Antenatur, specializes in nature and ecotourism and functions as an interoperable data space with various digital sources and federated tourism platforms.
With more than a decade of experience, the director has led R&D&I projects through the Science and Business Innovation Unit (UCIE-ITA), an open innovation space that has developed and commercialized Applied Tourism Intelligence solutions in national and international markets. He also leads the Observatory Tourism Visioneer, a project carried out in collaboration with the Tourism & Society Think Tank (TSTT), presented at the I Boot Camp ResiTur Valencia, Spain.
What does the designation of Valencia Spain as the European Observatory “Tourism Visioneer” mean for your association Connect Mta and the TSTT?
The choice of Valencia as the headquarters of the European Observatory Tourism Visioneer for a large part of the research team, 60% of whom are Valencians, has meant a lot, it implies a great stimulus and enthusiasm that over the weeks is transformed into responsibility and commitment to achieve the objectives.
Having future industrial doctoral students from the University of Valencia encourages all those involved and other actors in the city to establish alliances of this type when it comes to generating data spaces.
We want to make an effort to resume face-to-face actions, the high speed train connections with Madrid are frequent, fast and very comfortable and will allow us to encourage the participation of all members of both work teams.
As the main driver and co-founder of the “Tourism Visioneer Community”, do you believe that its members can contribute to accelerate the change to a smarter, regenerative and circular tourism model?
Assuming the coordination of the TSTT's Tourism Innovation and Intelligence Working Group at the end of 2022 and alternating it with my PhD research work at the University of Valencia, made me see that only “people” and “collective intelligence” will take us from where we are to where we want to go. Accelerating this change means facing a new “Vision of these and a state of both individual and collective consciousness”.
Digital technologies, information and data are only mere support tools, which we need to make informed and intelligent decisions, but thanks to the implementation strategy of the Tourism Intelligence Systems, Regenerative and Circular (SIT RC), the promotion of participatory governance and the proposal of eminently practical training modules, the activists members of the TV Community will have training itineraries that allow sequencing a “transformative learning” that incorporates concepts such as Impact, purpose, accessibility and inclusion into the day to day of tourism activity.
A turning point for the tourism sector to change its course, as opposed to a current model where, in many cases, quantity prevails over quality. The Tourism Visioneer Community identifies “people” from different collectives and public, private, academic, social, press media organizations, born with the aim of forming a group of activists who share local and identity values, but all willing to take action and improve the impact of the activity with a “regenerative and circular smart tourism.”
When did the inspiration and the determination of what components the Tourist Visioneer OBSERVATORY should have, as a solution applicable to different tourist destinations, come about?
I am convinced that all great discoveries are not the result of a linear logic and creativity works like that, already in 2012 in the Antenatur Blog we described the Tourist Intelligence Units as a strategic key to be able to validate multiple sources of information, later in 2014 we certified with the UNE 166. 006 of Technological Surveillance and Competitive Intelligence to Connect MTA, and to the Visit Benidorm Foundation in 2015, which Segittur highlights in its latest publication: the Guide of good practices in innovation for Smart Tourist Destinations, as one of the reference actions in tourism innovation due to the great impact of the development of the VT/IC systems, focused on the offer and its products: cycling, running, Film Office and markets generating monthly global reports, and market trends and competition that reaches 250 tourism professionals in the city of Benidorm and the province of Alicante.
By triangulating and correlating the three components: (1) the results of the Tourism Intelligence Units (Antenatur), (2) the indices obtained in the Territorial Impact Labs (Territory Impact + LAB) and (3) the harmonized data of the indicators that incorporate the opinions of “Residents and Tourists” to the Resitur Barometer, the Observatory TV has become a reality, and is already operational and tested in different Smart destinations.
The members of the research team have been able to verify its easy adaptation and practicality when incorporating other impact barometers such as Regeneratur or the Digital Maturity Index.
Cuándo surgió la inspiración y la determinación de qué componentes debía tener el OBSERVATORIO Visor Turístico, como solución aplicable a diferentes destinos turísticos?
Estoy convencido de que todos los grandes descubrimientos no son fruto de una lógica lineal y la creatividad funciona así, ya en 2012 en el Blog de Antenatur describíamos las Unidades de Inteligencia Turística como una clave estratégica para poder validar múltiples fuentes de información, posteriormente en 2014 certificamos con la UNE 166. 006 de Vigilancia Tecnológica e Inteligencia Competitiva a Connect MTA, y a la Fundación Visit Benidorm en 2015, que Segittur destaca en su última publicación: la Guía de buenas prácticas en innovación para Destinos Turísticos Inteligentes, como una de las acciones de referencia en innovación turística por el gran impacto del desarrollo de los sistemas VT/IC, centrados en la oferta y sus productos: ciclismo, running, Film Office y mercados generando informes mensuales globales, y de tendencias de mercado y competencia que llega a 250 profesionales del turismo de la ciudad de Benidorm y la provincia de Alicante.
Mediante la triangulación y correlación de los tres componentes: (1) los resultados de las Unidades de Inteligencia Turística (Antenatur), (2) los índices obtenidos en los Laboratorios de Impacto Territorial (Impacto Territorial + LAB) y (3) los datos armonizados de los indicadores que incorporan las opiniones de «Residentes y Turistas» al Barómetro Resitur, el Observatorio TV se ha convertido en una realidad, y ya está operativo y testado en diferentes destinos Smart.
Los miembros del equipo de investigación han podido comprobar su fácil adaptación y practicidad a la hora de incorporar otros barómetros de impacto como Regeneratur o el Índice de Madurez Digital.
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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