For Tourism 4.0 it was an honor to be invited to a conference with the participation of high-ranking guests from 60 Asian countries - the Conference on Tourism 4.0 for Rural Development, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia. The organizers were APO - Asian Productivity Organization, Ministry of Village, Development of Disadvantaged Region, and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia and Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia. The main topic was using data analytics for better planning and decision-making.
The first day of the conference featured four main sessions and engaging discussions:
- Session 1: Role of Tourism for Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development, and the role of digitalization in national strategy, keynote speaker: Dr Samsul Widodo, MVDDRT, Indonesia.
- Session 2: Tourism for Sustainable Rural Development and the role of digitalization, keynote speaker: Antonio López de Ávila Muñoz, Global Manager World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Saudi Arabia.
- Session 3: Community Based Tourism in Asia: Adding Value Through Digitalization, keynote speaker: Dr. Amran Hamzah, Professor, University of Technology Malaysia.
- Session 4: Digitalization in tourism: Challenges, methodologies, and good practices from Europe, keynote speaker: Dr. Urška Starc Peceny.
In the Digitalization section in tourism Dr. Urška Starc Peceny presented Tourism 4.0 innovations - Automated assessment tool, Flows, Digital Innovation of Cultural Heritage, Tourism Impact Model and the outcomes from the DATES Tourism Data Space preparatory action, European Commission initiatives like Smart Tourism Destinations Project and Together for EU Tourism expert group. She emphasized the importance of local data as a building block of smart cities. Together with Ted Manabe, APO, she facilitated an interactive session with participants to discuss digital readiness of Asian Productivity Organization member economies, opportunities and challenges, where she encouraged the constant use and sharing of data for the common good.
On the second day of the conference, Dr. Starc Peceny together with Ana Jurečič Martinčič from the Posavje Regional Development Agency showcased e-Gradovi Posavja, a shining Slovenian example of collaboration, regional connectivity in cultural heritage and tourism, the use of digital technologies, unique tourist experiences and capitalization in tourism through the Digital Innovation of Cultural Heritage project.
Dr. Urška Starc Peceny with Antonio López de Ávila Muñoz, Global Manager World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Saudi Arabia
