Intelligent Destination Platform
This idea gave rise to the Intelligent Destination Platform (PID), a pioneering global technological infrastructure that seeks to improve the design of public policies related to tourism.
Promoted by the Secretary of State for Tourism, the PID’s mission is to promote the sustainable development of the destinations that form part of the DTI Network and to accelerate the digital transformation of the tourism ecosystem. The aim is for Spain to be a leader not only in attracting visitors, but also in innovation and tourism management. This platform is developed by SEGITTUR and has an investment of €130 million from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Although the vision is centralised, destinations also play an active role in this change. In fact, 250 destinations applied for grants to deploy their own smart platforms in order to advance their digitalisation.
The PID not only involves public administrations, but also tourism companies, visitors and residents. Everyone can interact, share data and generate useful knowledge for strategic decision-making. The aim is for these digital tools to improve the relationship between tourists and residents and optimise destination management in an intelligent way.
One of the strengths of the PID is its ability to integrate with existing systems in tourist destinations. It can collect real-time data on mobility, energy consumption, sustainability and other aspects, offering a complete overview of what is happening in each location. This information enables better decisions to be made in the face of the major challenges facing tourism today: sustainability, digitalisation, personalisation, operational efficiency and strengthening the local fabric.
Service catalogue
PID is not just technology. It also offers a set of services designed to digitally activate destinations and tourism businesses, improve the traveller’s experience at all stages of the journey and maximise the benefits of tourism in the region.
The catalogue is divided into six components:
- C1 or Shared Services Platform: this is the core that connects all the elements of the tourism ecosystem.
- C2 or Common Services: this includes twenty services that form part of the central node of the PID. They are available to destinations, businesses and tourists through web applications, mobile applications or APIs.
- C3 or Migration and Evolution of the Tourism Intelligence System (SIT): this system already operates on the shared services platform.
- C4 or Knowledge Platform: acts as a node that aggregates data and offers tourism intelligence services to all actors in the sector.
- C5 or Cloud Computing Service: provides the technological infrastructure under the PaaS (Platform as a Service) model.
- C6 or Centre of Excellence (COE) and Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC): offers technical assistance, surveillance and security monitoring.
Related regulations
Spain has led the creation of technical standards in the field of Smart Tourist Destinations (DTI) through CTN-UNE 178. These standards establish requirements and best practices that have been adopted both nationally and internationally, facilitating interoperability between systems and a common language for developing tourism projects.
Three key standards have been published in recent years:
- UNE 178511: guides tourist destinations in the acquisition of ICT services, promoting open and interoperable digital platforms.
- UNE 178509: defines processes for identifying, capturing, storing, processing, sharing and interoperating tourism data.
- UNE 178510: seeks to integrate SMEs and micro-SMEs in the tourism sector into the digital ecosystem, promoting public-private collaboration.
Open Innovation Platform (PIA)
The Open Innovation Platform (PIA), part of the PID, is a strategic initiative to promote digitisation and innovation in tourism by creating a collaborative ecosystem.
It consists of three elements:
- Sectoral data space: allows data to be shared voluntarily and securely between different actors.
- Sandbox: a controlled environment for experimenting and testing new technological solutions, taking advantage of cloud services.
- Marketplace: a single portal where destinations and companies can access digital applications and services developed by any member of the ecosystem (destinations, companies, entrepreneurs, etc.).
Next steps
The PID will be implemented progressively in three stages. This approach will be adapted for each destination, as the types are very different and the aim is to achieve orderly and sustainable adoption.
- Activation: Training and awareness-raising for implementation.
- Incorporation: Operational destinations and technical support.
- Expansion: Rollout to the entire DTI Network.
If the deadlines are met, from December 2025 onwards, an Expansion stage will begin, with the leading Destinations already incorporated (beneficiaries of the call for proposals) and the gradual incorporation of the entire DTI Destinations network.
