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What is smart tourism and why is it so BIG?

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Smart tourism is big business in the travel and tourism industry, but why is it so big and what does smart tourism actually do? Read on to learn more…

What is smart tourism?

A definition of smart tourism, types of smart tourism, smart tourism accessibility options, smart tourism sustainability initiatives, smart tourism information sharing, smart tourism research and management tools, smart tourist experiences, smart tourism: conclusion.

Smart tourism is defined according to the technological capabilities of a particular destination, attraction or the tourist themselves. Many destinations are now modernising to include increased use of smart technology in their operations ranging from payment methods to interactive activities.

The ultimate aim of smart tourism is to improve the efficiency of resource management, maximise competitiveness and to enhance sustainability through the use of technological innovations and practices. It is often associated with e-tourism as this will involve the use of technology.

One destination that is leading the way with their smart tourism industry is China, whereby tourists can use their phones to do simple tasks such as pay for taxis, order meals, check queue times and read information on the destination or attraction that they are visiting through a supplied QR code.

‘Smart’ has become somewhat of a buzzword in recent years.

In essence, for something to be ‘smart’ it needs to have complex technological capabilities in order to allow for the exploitation of a range of information that is then used to inform product development and operation. Whilst the average tourist may not be aware of what goes on behind the scenes, there is likely a lot of work that goes on to ensure maximum productivity and competitiveness.

Whilst the concept of ‘smart’ isn’t directly correlated with technology, in today’s world they are inevitably intertwined. In order to be ‘smart’, destinations, attractions and other tourism industry stakeholders will utilise a variety of technological innovations and practices (these are outlined shortly). As such, the use of technology is at the heart of the concept of smart tourism.

There hasn’t been a great deal of research into smart tourism to date. Most studies in the area focus instead on ‘smart cities’ or ‘smart destinations’.

Gretzel et al (2015) advocate that the notion of smart tourism is, in fact, a complex one, and that succinctly defining the term smart tourism is a difficult endeavour.

The The European Capital of Smart Tourism , define a smart destination as:

‘A destination facilitating access to tourism and hospitality products, services, spaces and experiences through ICT-based tools. It is a healthy social and cultural environment, which can be found through a focus on the city´s social and human capital. It also implements innovative, intelligent solutions and fosters the development of entrepreneurial businesses and their interconnectedness.’

To further elaborate, Buhalis and Amaranggana explain that:

‘Smart Tourism Destinations take advantage of: (1) Technology embedded environments; (2) Responsive processes at micro and macro levels (3) End-user devices in multiple touch-points; and (4) Engaged stakeholders that use the platform dynamically as a neural system.’

Taking into account the available literature at the time of writing, I have provided my own definition of smart tourism below.

‘Smart tourism is the act of tourism agents utilising innovative technologies and practices to enhance resource management and sustainability, whilst increasing the businesses overall competitiveness’.

resource management, maximise competitiveness and to enhance sustainability through the use of technological innovations and practices.

At the heart of smart tourism is technology, that much is clear. But the key is how this technology is used to make the tourism agent (destination management organisation , tourist attraction, hotel, restaurant etc) operate more effectively.

Below you will find five of the most common methods of implementing smart tourism.

Ways to implement smart tourism

Smart tourism can be implemented in any number of different ways, providing it achieves the outcomes of enhanced resource management, sustainability and competitiveness. There are five main ways to do this, although this list is, of course, not exhaustive. These five methods include; smart accessibility options, smart sustainability initiatives, smart information sharing, smart research and management tools and smart tourist experiences.

In order to a tourism agent to identify as smart tourism initiative, they must demonstrate that they are accessible to all, both in a physical and a digital sense. This means that everyone has access to the tourism provider, regardless of age, gender, religion, race, sexuality or disability.

A smart tourism attraction or destination should have a well development transport infrastructure that enables all types of people to travel (i.e. there is wheelchair access and lifts for parents with prams etc). This should also include reasonably priced transport options, which will usually be public transport.

At the attraction or destination itself, there should be opportunities for everybody to access all areas. This may include lifts and ramps for disabled people.

Smart tourism accessibility also includes language communications. This is something that I have personally grappled with a lot since moving to China . Many Chinese attractions do not provide information for non-Chinese speaking tourists. Others provide translation for only some selected information (this works both ways too- I have translated museum scripts to find that the English version provides comprehensive details, but the Chinese version omits certain facts or remarks).

There are some great examples of smart tourism accessibility implemented around the world. I personally like the wheelchair accessibility that is promoted in Malaga and the personal city helpers scheme in Helsinki .

Sustainable tourism is at the forefront of many tourism agent’s plans and operations nowadays, and for good reason. As I explained in my post ‘ Sustainable tourism explained ‘, such practices not only help to provide a good image for the organisation, but also help to combat the negative social , environmental and economic impacts of tourism.

An important arm of smart tourism is the sustainability sector. Tourism agents which operate successful smart tourism initiatives should have a considerable focus on sustainability; reducing their carbon footprint, adopting environmentally friendly approaches and taking into account the host communities and their needs.

There are many ways that organisations can use mart technology to improve their sustainability practices.

Helsinki demonstrated their commitment to sustainable tourism during their Sustainable Flow Festival and Estonia have their Green Key initiative. At a more local level, there are many eco hotels and resorts around the world as well as socially beneficial tourism forms such as volunteer tourism .

Of course, having sustainable practices alone doesn’t qualify a tourism agent as a smart tourism provider. These practices need to be underpinned by technologies, such as the use of solar panel lighting for example, that enable said practices to be achieved.

One of the key advancements enabling smart tourism to occur in recent years is the growth of information sharing platforms. The digitalisation of modern day society has opened up a wealth of opportunities for tourism providers to share information to a wide range of tourist types .

The growth of social media, QR codes and mini-programmes has provided tourism agents with opportunities that were not previously available.

Tourism organisations can now use these new opportunities to provide information prior, during and after the tourists’ visit. They can also utilise more efficient promotional methods and marketing on these online platforms.

Complex algorithms, cookies and other digital monitoring methods can help organisations to be more and more in tune with their consumers or potential consumers. This allows them to develop more suitable and targeted products.

Organisations have been capitalising on the new possibilities of smart tourism information sharing by adopting electronic means of sharing information, for example in a museum or exhibit, encouraging the use of particular social media hashtags and geotagging and developing custom made apps.

Whilst many organisations around the world have turned to smart tourism information sharing practices, China is leading the way in this domain. Chinese tourism attractions are abundant with QR codes and their social media sharing platform, WeChat, enables tourism providers to develop their own mini-programmes- kind of like apps, but less extensive and without the need to download anything.

Nowadays there are many methods of obtaining and monitoring information. Organisations now have a wealth of data at their fingertips.

Adopting smart tourism research and management tools, such as designing a custom-made tourism flow monitor or developing a tailor-made CRM programme, can dramatically improve business outcomes.

A good example of a destination that has implemented smart tourism research and management tools in this way is Malaga, where they have introduced a parking app to help travellers park more effectively and reduce congestion.

Perhaps the most obvious type of smart tourism (for the tourist at least), is the smart tourist experience.

Destinations, attractions and other tourism providers are now adopting innovative technological approaches to develop and enhance the tourism experience that they offer. This ranges from augmented reality applications to gaming and virtual reality. This article on the top 20 augmented reality travel apps show a few examples of how this works in practice.

In the UK, The Hub Hotel from Premier Inn has made augmented reality compatible with the wall maps in the hotel rooms. When these maps are viewed through a smart device the wall maps present additional information about some of the local places of interest.

On my recent trip to Qiandao Lake in China, I saw a virtual reality hot air ballon. Here tourists would wear a mask which would make them feel like they would be lifted to a height inside the hot air ballon, where they could appreciate the lake view around them. In reality, their feet would never leave the ground!

Is smart tourism the future of tourism? I would say so, yes. There are some brilliant examples of smart tourism initiatives around the world and countries like China are leading the way. Despite the evident growth in smart tourism, however, there is a dearth of information on the subject, most notably in the academic field.

Personally, I am excited to see the developments in the tourism industry in this regard over the coming years! What do you think?

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Insights How Smart Tourism Experiences are Served by Technology

Today’s visitor journey is fragmented. Customer data can help brands unlock seamless, digitally-enabled guest experiences within connected smart destinations.

The concept of “smart destinations” or “smart tourism” has been advancing the guest experience for years, but there’s one piece of the puzzle that the travel and hospitality industry has yet to unlock: the integration of customer data for proactive insights that enable personalization.

Smart tourism defines travel experiences that are digitally enabled and connected to technology, allowing guests to efficiently navigate through foreign cities, book activities online and utilize their mobile devices to tackle their entire itinerary.

But smart tourism is entering a new era of seamless travel, served not only by technology, but also by customer data.  

“The future of smart tourism is travel experiences that are proactive,” says Mukundhan Sundaram, senior director of technology at Publicis Sapient. “You’re removing all points of friction and frustration by putting data in the hands of the customer to effectively guide their journey.”

Learn how the next era of smart tourism can build guest loyalty and how customer data will transform the end-to-end guest experience.

What smart tourism is—and what it isn’t

Smart destinations are often enabled by specific technology upgrades, like mobile apps or online booking platforms, but that’s not all it is. Smart tourism is tourism that transforms the end-to-end guest experience through interconnected physical and digital technology.

“Technology upgrades implemented in a vacuum aren’t truly ‘smart,’ because they’re not grounded in the end-to-end guest experience,” says Sundaram, travel and hospitality industry expert.

Smart tourism is not just luxury travel; it applies to mass-market or affordable tourism experiences as well. Smart tourism creates seamless and luxurious experiences enabled by technology, increasing convenience and accessibility for travelers.

The next era of smart tourism, sometimes referred to as “cognitive tourism,” goes a step further by utilizing first-party customer data to proactively recommend the next step of the guest experience, whether that’s a reminder to get to the airport, an invitation for a vacation activity or a coupon for a recommended restaurant. This means no more written itineraries that need to be carried around and the ability to plan a dream vacation at the click of a button, taking much of the thinking out of the process.

Why guests crave smart destinations now more than ever

Post-COVID-19, travelers expect and rely on technology to power travel experiences across every touchpoint of their journey. Understaffed travel and hospitality brands need to use technology to bridge the gap at formerly in-person touchpoints that are becoming overwhelmed with “revenge tourism.”

But the need for smart tourism isn’t just because of a lack of staff. As travel prices continue to rise and loyalty falls, guests will revisit brands that personalize products and messaging. Almost one-third of travelers are more likely to stay in hotels that offer contactless checkout and/or personalized digital offers, according to 2022 research. Digitizing the travel experience allows brands to further tailor marketing and recommendations to customers based on their data.

Smart tourism also enables more sustainable, regenerative travel experiences that appeal to younger travelers. Roughly two-thirds of Millennials and Gen Z say that sustainability is important to them when they travel, according to the same study.

How can smart tourism transform the end-to-end travel experience?

From booking to hotel check-in and travel activities, brands can allow customers to share first-party data through mobile devices for more personalized and efficient travel experiences.

Here’s how brands can integrate customer data across each step of the travel experience:

Booking the vacation  

• Read blogs, forums and articles to research vacation options.
• Manually enter log-in information on several different websites to receive points and discounts on bookings.
• Fill out lengthy forms with contact information for each booking.
• Go to the brand website to enter a virtual metaverse experience to explore and learn about the destination.
• Scan a QR code from the website browser to give consent for the brand to automatically access all required booking credentials stored within a [decentralized digital identity], from payment information to contact information.
•  Receive personalized recommendations for travel based on metaverse activity and decentralized digital identity.

Checking in at the airport for a flight

• Enter the airport well in advance of the flight to stand in a long line to check bags.
• Check into flight via the website, and have to enter the flight number and remember to check in well in advance of the flight.
• Enter the long TSA line for security, and have to show your passport/ID and boarding pass.
• Airline app sends a notification to check in for your flight, and boarding information is automatically added to the app.
• App recommends what time to get to the airport based on traffic flow and locations and also shows recommendations for food around the gate area, allowing passengers to place orders for products or food in advance with stored payment methods.
• App allows passengers to check bags through a contactless method and use their phone to get through security and boarding with no queues.

Checking into a hotel for vacation

• Arrive at the front desk to wait in a long line.
• Front desk staff member has to check multiple databases to locate guest check-in information as the guest waits with their family and luggage.
• Guest has to juggle their ID and credit card and sign paper check-in forms and receives an envelope with room keys.
• Receive an email on the day of check-in with instructions on how to check in.
• Geo-sensing technology recognizes when you have reached the hotel property and sends a ping with the room information and room key.
• App guides visitors to their rooms and provides recommendations for initial food, activities and added amenities based on demographic information and travel history.

Accomplishing the travel itinerary

• Research and book the best activities near the hotel far in advance of the trip.
• Separately research and book the most convenient transportation and food options to accompany the activity.
• Check into each activity using a different ticket or pass, search deep in email inbox or print out the pass in advance.
• Receive a realistic recommended travel itinerary for the trip based on geo-location, preferences, demographics and other traveler information.
• In case of unanticipated events, the activities and overall itinerary are dynamic, with the ability to transition to new reservation times or plans depending on the situation.
• Receive proactive activity reminders for timing, transportation and necessary preparation.

In order to bring smart and even cognitive tourism experiences to life, travel brands need to connect physical and digital technology, as well as customer data, across the entire travel ecosystem. This includes city governments, payment processors, airports, airlines, hotels and more.

How Publicis Sapient creates smart destinations

Through partnerships with key industry players, Publicis Sapient helps global travel companies utilize artificial intelligence, big data, information of things, augmented and virtual reality and decentralized identity solutions to create connected travel ecosystems.

“Publicis Sapient is a global leader in smart destination solutions across geographies and sectors,” says Sundaram, travel and hospitality industry expert. “Our approach to smart tourism is customer-centric and involves a variety of stakeholders in order to be truly seamless.”

Approaching smart and cognitive tourism as an entire ecosystem rather than a singular touchpoint or brand in isolation allows hotels, airlines and cities to create frictionless and delightful travel experiences. At the same time, it creates experiences that are scalable over time and able to onboard and integrate new partners or hybrid legacy architecture.

Publicis Sapient helps brands like Miral to store every piece of information needed for travel in one place, digitally.

Contact Publicis Sapient to design and deliver a customer-centric smart tourism experience below.

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What is Smart Tourism (And Why Does it Matter)?

The concept of Smart Tourism is defined by the European Union as a destination facilitating access to tourism and hospitality products, services, spaces and experiences through ICT-based (Information and communications technology) tools. By investing and developing these resources a city’s intelligence is strengthened and visitor engagement enhanced. This has implications on businesses and individuals alike who benefit from a more efficient infrastructure and service provision.

But why should you care about Smart Tourism?

In recent times the Tourism sector has been hit the hardest out of any other industry worldwide with the advancements of the COVID-19 pandemic. Smart Tourist destinations will now be the focal point for city regeneration and to soften the blow of seasonal tourist destinations. Smart Tourism facilitates this by creating an environment in which a holiday-maker can prosper and has been shown to trigger positive user experiences in visitors. 1.8 billion people are expected to be travelling the world by 2030 according to UN News highlighting the importance of placemaking and putting your city on the map for potential visitors.

Hello Lamp Post have been able to show tangible cause and effect on overall visitor experience through their implementation of a feedback loop at the Sydney Harbour Trust . This two way communication system allowed the governing body to understand the needs and wants of the tourists visiting and implement the necessary resources to accommodate these needs. It also provided a means for Sydney Harbour Trust to understand the vision of its constituents for the future of the area. While doing so they were able to connect the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust to a previously inaccessible demographic.

Terms to Know

The notion of smart Tourism comes as a result of the European Union’s Smart Tourism Directive, which looks to “promote smart tourism in the EU, network and strengthen destinations, and facilitate the exchange of best practices”. Before taking a deep dive into smart tourism we must first assess tourism as a concept. Tourism is commonly broken down to five core elements known as the Five A’s of tourism (Accessibility, Accommodation, Amenities, Attractions and Activities).

By interpreting the 5 A’s of tourism into the context of smart tourism we can see clearly the potential for citizen and participatory technology, to further enhance the overall tourist experience in a region.

How can smart tourism help you?

Analysing smart tourism.

You’re probably thinking to yourself “How can you judge a city’s intelligence?”. The assessment criteria is broken into four main areas on which the smart tourism solution is judged.

Accessibility

Sustainability, digitalisation.

• Have the correct measures been implemented to positively impact local business and local communities, tangible and, where possible, measurable impacts of the implementations? On the Maritime Mile in Belfast Hello Lamp Post implemented a solution to help increase footfall, visitor dwell times and obtain citizen feedback. The project was awarded ‘Best Use of Digital Technology to Improve the Visitor Experience’ at the 2019 Northern Ireland Tourism Awards.
• Being a digital tourism city means offering innovative tourism and hospitality information, products, services, spaces and experiences adapted to the needs of the consumers through ICT-based solutions and digital tools.
• The city must be shown to be providing digital information about the destination, its attractions and tourism offers.
• Is your information on public transport, attractions and accommodation digitally accessible ? An environment should be created in which businesses have a digital-friendly support network to develop in.
• Are you supporting tourism businesses in their development and making use of digital skills and tools? Hello Lamp Post’s deployment in Bristol showcases the perfect example of leveraging digital skills and tools to enhance citizen engagement, see for yourself.
• Do you use digital solutions for enhancing innovative tourism offers ?

Creative and Cultural Heritage

• Is your city making resourceful use of its cultural heritage and creative industries to enrich tourism experience and quality of life ?
• What actions are you implementing to boost the recognition of your city as a smart tourism destination and to incorporate the tangible and intangible heritage of your art, history and culture in its centre and surroundings, in your enhanced tourism offer? The Arts Centre in Mesa Arizona was home to a Hello Lamp Post project directly aimed at promoting creative opportunities around the local area. Hello Mesa showcased how Hello Lamp Post’s technology can be used to make informed decisions on how local heritage should be showcased.
• How do you use cultural heritage and creativity to attract tourists, as well as exploit synergies between tourism and cultural and creative industries? Hello Lamp Post was able to aid this process during the “Big Bugs Tour” in INTU in the U.K by adding a playful experiential layer to the tour.

If you think your city could be in with a chance apply here .

Your Next Smart Tourism Destination

Let’s look at some examples of great smart tourism destinations:

Malaysia – Smart Tourism Malaysia – “Advances in digital technology are impacting how people travel, demanding tourism-related businesses to transform the way they operate” – said Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister for Tourism who has headed the Smart Tourism 4.0 initiative in Malaysia which has received outstanding praise from a global audience. The project’s main aim was to overcome urban challenges but at a local level as is shown on the smart city Malaysia website . The 92 indicators used in the project’s formation have performed above and beyond their initial intentions and have been regarded as a resounding success.

Gothenburg – Gothenburg is a small town in Sweden that has for the last four years been recognised as the European Capital of Smart Tourism. The town of 533,00 has received continuous investment in smart city technology over the last number of years, allowing it to grow from smart to smarter. These investments were mainly centred around sustainability and improving the lives of both the citizens and visitors in the town. Gothenburg is currently developing a strategy to become the first region in the world with fully zero-emission transport solutions , find out more at Smart City Sweden .

Malaga – The €31 million SmartCity Malaga project looked to implement a renewable energy solution for the people in the Spanish municipality, made up of half a million citizens. This solution took the form of LED lighting to save energy, installing more than 35 km of cycle paths and an app that allows people who are visually impaired to get tickets, interpret information and request assistance. The overall goal of this project was to strengthen Spain’s position as a global tourist destination which they have done to great avail.

Applying A Human-centric Approach to Smart Tourism

This is where we come in. Hello Lamp Post have shown their ability in the past to enable smart tourism destinations, to delve into the thoughts and ideas of their visitors through their innovative AI conversational tool. But don’t take our word for it, listen to what our client at the Sydney Harbour Trust had to say:

“This innovative and fun technology has provided another avenue for the Harbour Trust to connect with our community and visitors. It provides a simple and engaging way for visitors to discover more about Harbour Trust sites and also allows us to gain important insights into the visitor experience and obtain broad community feedback on Harbour Trust projects.” – Kathryn Roberts, Director of Marketing and Visitor Experience at the Harbour Trust

Long gone are the days of traditional city design. Humans are now the focal point for local planners and tourist engagement boards alike. Data has now become a more valuable asset than water and a responsibility is now on governing bodies to ensure resources are being positioned effectively so as to maximise benefit for residents and visitors alike. We here at Hello Lamp Post believe we can improve and enhance this process. Contact us using our contact form here . Back

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What is Smart Tourism?

According to UN News, by 2030, there will be 1.8 billion people traveling the world. To accommodate this volume of travelers, countries are looking toward Smart Tourism as a means of streamlining and improving tourism infrastructure. Smart Tourism is a transformative approach to the travel industry that facilitates tourism and hospitality through innovative technology and data-driven solutions.

The concept of Smart Tourism harnesses the potential of information and communication (ICT) tools to integrate digital information and services into the tourist experience seamlessly. The goal is to offer tourists more personalized, convenient, efficient, and safe travel options. It also aids host countries by promoting economic growth, protecting and highlighting cultural heritage, and reducing the environmental impact of the tourism industry. Additionally, by investing in and developing ICT-based technology in tourism, host countries can strengthen visitor engagement and attract more tourist revenue.

Smart Tourism originated in the European Union (EU) and is already showing great results in many countries in Europe and elsewhere. The European Union’s Smart Tourism concept can manifest as various solutions, including more efficient transportation, country-wide access to free wifi, automated alerts about traffic patterns or public incidents, e-passes for cultural sites that can be obtained online, electric transportation options, and much more.

Empowering Smart Tourism for Sustainable Travel Experiences

There are many ways countries can adopt and apply Smart Tourism practices. First, they should be open to adopting innovative technologies to support new tourism products and services that align with Smart Tourism goals. They should also seek ways to promote and incorporate sustainable practices to improve the longevity of their communities and economies. Smart Tourism also relies on collaboration between countries and cities to foster dialogue, share successful practices, and develop an intercity and international knowledge base for the future.

Some practical applications of Smart Tourism include mobile applications, websites, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices that provide tourists with flexible solutions from various digital touchpoints. Mobile applications and websites can be a great way to connect tourists on the go. They can be used country-wide, and they are easy to access. They can be designed to offer real-time information about attractions, transportation, or events. They can also have a chatbot feature for tourists to seek information without visiting a brick-and-mortar tourism office.

Digital applications of Smart Tourism can offer recommendations based on individual preferences and can even incorporate augmented reality to deliver immersive, interactive experiences at historical sites and landmarks. Better yet, incorporating more technological solutions can reduce the carbon footprint of the local tourism sector by reducing the need for excessive driving and paper products.

For host countries, the data gathered from various touchpoints can be used to gain valuable insights into visitor behavior. This helps them create tailored marketing strategies and improve resource use for more effective and efficient tourism management. Smart Tourism applications can be pivotal in how travelers engage with destinations, enhancing convenience, personalization, and sustainability.

Smart Tourism Destinations

Many destinations already see great results from implementing Smart Tourism solutions and tools. Here are some of the places that are inspiring the world with their innovative examples of Smart Tourism:

The Smart City Framework Malaysia (MSCF), part of the Smart Tourism 4.0 initiative led by the Minister for Tourism, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, is considered an international success. The project’s primary goal was to overcome urban challenges at the local level by implementing smart solutions for the “inefficient delivery of urban services, environmental pollution, and traffic congestion.”

Gothenburg, Sweden

This small town in Sweden has been named the world’s most sustainable destination by the Global Destination Sustainability Index and was a Winner of the 2020 European Capitals of Smart Tourism. Visitors to Gothenburg will experience wide-spread 4G coverage, smart grids for traffic and electricity, and optimized public transportation systems. The city also has its own informative website with a real-time chat function. 92% of the city’s hotels and 100% of meeting facilities are certified as environmentally friendly. Visitors attending large-scale events can rest assured that the venue and the event have been optimized to be as sustainable as possible. 

Malaga, Spain

Málaga was another Winner of the 2020 European Capitals of Smart Tourism and has been working hard to incorporate more sustainable and accessible options for tourists for many years now. The city has installed LED lighting, bike hire stations, bike lanes up to 40 km long, and smart watering systems for public gardens and parks. Málaga’s Air Quality Sectoral Plan and its waste management systems are both critical efforts to improve the quality of life in the city. Málaga has put a lot of energy into protecting and improving its natural spaces to create more sustainable environments for local animals and plants. It is also a hub for arts and culture, with many world-class museums designed to be accessible to foreign tourists and residents.

Helsinki, Finland

Named the European Capital of Smart Tourism in 2019, Helsinki has developed several smart public transportation solutions, including driverless buses, bicycle paths, electric cars, and more. They also installed “Helsinki Helpers” throughout the city that can offer assistance in multiple languages. Visitors can use the Helsinki Road Map, which guides tourists and prevents overcrowding for local business owners and residents. Helsinki hopes to become carbon neutral by 2035.  

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana is setting the bar high for digital city planning solutions. The capital of Slovenia was the Winner of the European Green Capital Award in 2016 and has won awards since for its seamless integration of technology with tradition. 20% of the entire city is protected natural space, and there is a big emphasis on public spaces. Even though private vehicles are banned in the city center visitors won’t have trouble getting around. Ljubljana has an integrated transport system that allows URBANA cardholders to take the bus, rent a shared bike, pay for parking, or take a cable car to Ljubljana Castle. Tourists will love the Visit Ljubljana website and app which are regularly updated, multilingual, and accessible through the WiFree Ljubljana network which is available all around the city for one free hour per day or unlimited for a small fee.

Exploring the Applications of Smart Tourism

The concept of Smart Tourism encompasses several types and applications, each designed to enhance different aspects of the travel experience. These types include destination management systems that use data analytics and IoT technology to optimize resource allocation and improve sustainability.

Another type is convenient informational solutions. Mobile applications and websites that provide real-time information are very important for a well-run Smart Tourism initiative. These convenient solutions can provide navigation assistance and personalized recommendations for attractions or dining.

Smart Tourism can also include augmented and virtual reality solutions. AR and VR, respectively, can create immersive and educational experiences that tourists can engage with. These types of solutions are especially effective at historical sites or cultural attractions. 

Another type of Smart Tourism is implementing smart transportation systems. These systems incorporate real-time information about traffic, public transportation, available smart parking solutions, and ride-sharing to create more seamless local mobility. This also benefits residents by reducing traffic issues, noise pollution, and overcrowding near residential neighborhoods.

Innovative safety measures are another very important part of Smart Tourism. Tourists want to know they are in good hands when they travel. Host countries or cities can implement surveillance cameras, emergency alert systems, and crowd monitoring to create a safer and well-run tourism sector.

Advantages of Smart Tourism

Smart tourism is advantageous to both tourists and local residents. For tourists, it provides greater convenience and easier access to real-time information about attractions, transportation options, and available services. It also makes planning and navigating more efficient. Smart safety features will offer greater peace of mind, while AR/VR experiences will bring their favorite sites to life. 

For the host destination, Smart Tourism can better prepare them for greater numbers of tourists and keep their tourism sector running smoothly for many years. Promoting sustainable practices and responsible tourism helps to protect the local environment and heritage. Improved transportation systems, safety features, and community monitoring also benefit residents by offering them more local conveniences. Host destinations also benefit from reaching tourist quotas and fostering greater economic growth.

Smart Tourism is a win-win for both visitors and destinations. It provides a more seamless and enjoyable tourist experience while increasing revenue for destinations to continuously improve their products, services, public systems, and resources.

Strategies for Implementing Smart Tourism

Implementing a thriving Smart Tourism infrastructure requires a comprehensive approach that looks at the long-term goals and impact of proposed projects. Stakeholders must collaborate closely to ensure that their objectives align with the principles of Smart Tourism, as well as the unique needs of each area. Conducting research is a fundamental step to ensure that tourists and residents benefit from the proposed changes.

After developing a plan, project managers must secure the appropriate funding and investments to implement their ideas. They should decide on the technology, such as IoT sensors, mobile apps, and data analytics systems, that best aligns with their goals and begin to create a budget. Of course, they must proceed thoughtfully, keeping sustainability as a guiding principle and incorporating environmentally friendly practices wherever possible. 

As projects develop and Smart Tourism solutions take effect, the destination can begin to allocate revenue toward new projects, including larger transportation systems and digital information platforms. These expanded systems will require expertise and training and help foster local job creation. Local communities can benefit from the revenue from Smart Tourism and use the newly implemented tools in their daily lives.

A well-implemented Smart Tourism initiative should be dynamic, flexible, and collaborative. It should leave room for further development and constantly reevaluate how to improve the tourist experience while protecting the local treasures, history, and natural environment for the future.

In this era of rapid technological advancements, Smart Tourism stands as a testament to the transformative power of innovation in the travel industry. As we navigate an increasingly interconnected world, the applications of Smart Tourism continue to revolutionize the way we explore new destinations. It’s not just about convenience and personalization; it’s about forging a sustainable and secure path toward memorable travel experiences. The future of tourism is, undeniably, smarter and more promising than ever before, and it offers a glimpse into a world where travel seamlessly combines the best of technology with the essence of adventure. So, whether you’re an avid explorer or a curious wanderer, Smart Tourism is your gateway to a future filled with extraordinary journeys and unforgettable memories.

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Plan your vacation wisely for a secure and enjoyable time. Read this post to master the art of Travel Safe Travel Smart with expert strategies for savvy journeys.

Embarking on a journey becomes a harmonious blend of pragmatic wisdom and adventure when you embrace the principles of “Travel Safe Travel Smart.” It’s the anthem that encapsulates a transformative travel experience , combining safety and curiosity to create unforgettable memories.

In the realm of exploration, this ultimate guide to safe and smart Travel, stands as a beacon of insight, offering a roadmap to navigate the intricacies of the world while prioritizing safety and informed decision-making. From pre-trip preparations that include understanding local customs to returning home with a bag full of stories , this guide serves as a steadfast companion for any traveller.

For those intrepid souls who yearn to dive headfirst into the unknown, finding the “Best Travel Insurance For Intrepid Travellers” becomes an essential part of the equation. In the pursuit of exhilarating experiences, having reliable protection is paramount. This insurance acts as a safety net, ensuring that whether you’re bungee jumping in New Zealand or exploring ancient temples in Cambodia , you’re covered against unforeseen emergencies, cancellations, and medical situations.

As you embark on your journey to discover new cultures and forge meaningful connections, remember that “Travel Safe Travel Smart” isn’t just a phrase – it’s a philosophy that empowers you to embrace the world with confidence, mindfulness, and a zest for exploration.

Table of Contents

Travel Safe Travel Smart: Exploring The World With Confidence

Travelling opens a world of possibilities , but it also comes with its share of uncertainties. The key to a fulfilling and hassle-free journey lies in striking the right balance between indulging in adventure and prioritizing safety. Whether you’re embarking on a solo expedition or a family vacation , understanding how to travel safe travel smart ensures that you make the most of your experiences while minimizing risks.

Tips To Travel Safe Travel Smart | Ultimate Guide To Safe And Smart Travel With 20 Tips

Explore this ultimate guide to safe and smart travel with these expert tips, ensuring your journey is both secure and memorable. From pre-trip preparations to mindful souvenirs, discover how to travel with confidence and intelligence. Discover crucial safety tips for a worry-free journey!

Pre-Trip Preparations

Thorough pre-trip preparations – holiday planning is the foundation of a safe and enjoyable journey. Researching your destination well in advance allows you to familiarize yourself with local customs, traditions, and cultural norms. Additionally, checking travel advisories ensures that you’re aware of any potential safety concerns or risks in the area. Taking the time to get vaccinated and follow health precautions minimizes health-related disruptions during your trip.

Packing Strategically

Packing strategically is an art that combines practicality and efficiency. Begin by creating a detailed packing list , focusing on essentials such as clothing, toiletries, and any necessary medications. Versatile clothing items that can be mixed and matched not only save space but also provide you with a variety of outfit options. This approach eliminates the stress of overpacking while ensuring you have what you need for various activities and weather conditions.

By planning your itinerary strategically and packing efficiently, you can travel smartly and make the most of your journey.

Secure Travel Documents

Your travel documents are your lifeline when exploring new places. Make digital copies of your passport, visa, and other important documents, storing them securely in a cloud-based service. It’s also wise to carry physical photocopies of essential documents as a backup. This precaution becomes invaluable if your digital devices are lost or stolen. Additionally, invest in a durable and secure travel wallet to keep your cash , cards, and travel documents organized and easily accessible.

Securing your travel documents is a vital step in the “Travel Safe Travel Smart” approach, ensuring a smooth and confident exploration of new horizons.

Money Matters

Financial planning is essential for a stress-free journey. Carry a mix of payment options, including credit cards and debit cards, to ensure you’re covered in case one gets lost or compromised. Having a moderate amount of local currency on hand is useful for small purchases and situations where cards might not be accepted. Keep your cash, cards, and travel documents in separate pouches or compartments to minimize the impact of potential theft.

Managing your finances wisely is a fundamental aspect of travelling smartly, allowing you to make the most of your adventures without financial stress.

Accommodation Insights

Selecting safe and reliable accommodations is paramount. Before booking your stay , thoroughly research neighbourhoods to identify safe and well-reviewed areas. Online platforms provide valuable insights through reviews and ratings, giving you a clear picture of previous travellers’ experiences. Many accommodations offer lockers or in-room safes, allowing you to store valuable items securely while you explore the area.

Transportation Tips

Navigating transportation systems in unfamiliar territories requires strategic planning. Opt for reputable transportation options such as licensed taxis or well-regulated ride-sharing services. Conduct research on local public transportation routes and schedules to navigate efficiently. Download navigation apps to your phone for real-time guidance, enabling you to move confidently within the destination.

Staying Connected

Staying connected while safeguarding your digital security is vital. Public Wi-Fi networks can be vulnerable to cyberattacks, so using a virtual private network (VPN) is recommended. This encrypted connection ensures your data remains private and secure. Be mindful when sharing personal information online and avoid oversharing on social media platforms to protect your privacy.

Cultural Awareness

Respecting local customs and cultural norms fosters positive interactions and enhances your travel experience. Research the dress codes and appropriate behaviour for your destination to avoid unintentional offence. Engage with locals and ask questions to learn and understand their way of life, showing genuine interest and respect for their culture.

Travelling smartly involves researching local customs, securing your belongings, and staying informed about the destination’s safety measures.

Avoiding Scams

Being aware of common travel scams empowers you to stay vigilant and protect yourself. Be cautious of unsolicited offers, overly friendly strangers, and deals that seem too good to be true. Keep your belongings secure by using anti-theft accessories such as locks and pouches. Staying alert and trusting your instincts are essential components of avoiding scams.

Health and Hygiene

Prioritizing health and hygiene contributes to a comfortable and illness-free journey. Carry a travel-sized first aid kit with essentials like band-aids, pain relievers, and antiseptic wipes to address minor health issues. Staying hydrated, especially in warmer climates, helps prevent dehydration and related health concerns. Regular handwashing and using hand sanitisers minimize the risk of contracting illnesses.

Exploring Responsibly

Responsible travel preserves the environment and culture of the places you visit. Embrace eco-friendly practices such as using reusable water bottles and bags to minimize plastic waste. Respect local wildlife and ecosystems by observing animals from a distance and avoiding activities that disturb their habitats. Leave no trace of your presence to maintain the natural beauty of your destination.

By adopting the principles of responsible travel and embracing eco-tourism, you embody the ethos of “Travel Safe Travel Smart,” prioritizing sustainable practices while exploring the world.

Emergency Preparedness

Being prepared for emergencies is essential, even if they are unlikely to occur. Memorize local emergency numbers and familiarize yourself with the location of your country’s embassy or consulate. Register with your embassy upon arrival to receive relevant updates and assistance if needed. Learning basic phrases in the local language can be immensely helpful in navigating emergencies and seeking help.

To ensure your safety in emergencies, it’s essential to follow the guidance of “Travel Safe Travel Smart” and be prepared with the necessary resources and knowledge.

Socializing Safely

Socializing with locals and fellow travellers is an enriching part of the journey. However, it’s crucial to prioritize your safety . Trust your instincts when interacting with strangers and avoid sharing personal information unnecessarily. When enjoying the nightlife, choose well-lit and crowded areas, and never leave your drink unattended to prevent potential incidents.

Documenting Memories

Documenting your travel memories allows you to relive your experiences long after your journey ends. Back up your photos and videos regularly to prevent the loss of cherished moments due to device malfunctions or theft. Exercise discretion when sharing on social media to maintain your privacy and security, ensuring that your personal information is not exposed.

Travel Insurance

Investing in comprehensive travel insurance is a vital step to safeguard your journey. Travel insurance covers unexpected emergencies, cancellations, and medical expenses, providing you with financial protection and peace of mind. Before purchasing a policy, carefully read and understand the terms, coverage, and exclusions to ensure it aligns with your needs.

When it comes to safeguarding your adventures, finding the best travel insurance for Intrepid Travellers is paramount. Amidst the plethora of types of travel insurance available, selecting the right one ensures that your journeys are characterized by excitement rather than worry. Moreover, for those embarking on explorations with loved ones, opting for family travel insurance brings an additional layer of security, allowing you to focus on making cherished memories without the burden of unforeseen circumstances.

Check out and book the b est travel insurance for intrepid travellers, and w orld nomads   Travel Insurance which covers a range of travel insurance and safety services including medical emergencies, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Local Customs and Etiquette

Navigating local customs and etiquette enhances your interactions with locals and showcases your respect for their culture. Learn gestures, greetings, and appropriate behaviour to foster positive connections. Observing how locals behave in different situations provides valuable insights into social norms, helping you adapt your behaviour accordingly.

Understanding and respecting local customs and etiquette is essential to travel smartly and foster positive interactions during your journey.

Navigational Tools

Navigational tools are essential for confidently exploring new destinations. Download offline maps to your device and use navigation apps with real-time updates. These tools ensure you can find your way even without an internet connection. Carrying a physical map as a backup is especially useful in areas with limited connectivity.

Utilizing navigation apps, local insights, and eco-friendly practices allows you to travel smartly and responsibly.

Culinary Caution

Sampling local cuisine is a delightful aspect of travel, but food safety should remain a priority. Choose reputable eateries that prioritize hygiene and adhere to food safety regulations. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, communicate them to restaurant staff to ensure a safe dining experience. By enjoying food responsibly, you minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses.

Take care of your health and ensure you eat proper food while travelling, remember to prioritize these aspects and thereby travel smartly.

Mindful Souvenirs

Selecting souvenirs thoughtfully allows you to support local artisans and embrace the culture of your destination. Choose authentic items that reflect the craftsmanship and traditions of the region. Be aware of wildlife and plant product restrictions when purchasing souvenirs to avoid legal issues and protect biodiversity. Your mindful choices contribute to the sustainability of the places you visit .

Returning Home Safely

A safe journey extends beyond the trip itself; it also involves returning home with care. Unpack thoughtfully, checking your belongings to ensure you haven’t left anything behind. Monitor your health for any post-travel symptoms and seek medical attention promptly if needed. By taking these steps, you ensure a smooth reintegration into your daily routine.

Travel Safe Travel Smart – FAQs

Here are frequently asked questions (FAQ) to help you travel smartly and confidently.

What is the most important travel safety tip?

Stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times.

How can I protect my belongings while travelling?

Use lockable bags, anti-theft accessories, and hotel safes to secure your valuables.

What’s the best way to keep my personal information safe during travel?

Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive tasks and consider using a virtual private network (VPN).

How can I stay healthy while travelling?

Stay hydrated, practice good hand hygiene, and research local health precautions before your trip.

What should I do in case of an emergency abroad?

Register with your embassy, keep important contacts handy, and know the local emergency numbers.

How can I avoid common travel scams?

Be cautious of overly friendly strangers, unsolicited offers, and verify information from official sources.

What’s the best approach to budgeting for a trip?

Plan ahead, create a detailed budget including all expenses, and leave some flexibility for unexpected costs.

How can I ensure a smooth airport experience?

Arrive early, have your documents ready, and follow airport regulations for security and check-in procedures.

What’s the key to cultural sensitivity when travelling?

Research and respect local customs, traditions, and etiquette to avoid unintentional offence.

How can I minimize my impact on the environment while travelling?

Reduce waste by using reusable items, supporting eco-friendly accommodations, and respecting natural habitats.

Embarking on a journey is an exhilarating experience, but it’s crucial to do so with prudence. Travelling safely and smartly involves a combination of research, preparedness, and mindful decision-making. By arming yourself with knowledge, embracing cultural respect, and staying vigilant, you can explore the world confidently while making unforgettable memories. Share your wisdom with fellow travellers, empowering them to embark on their own journeys armed with the tools for safe and intelligent adventures.

Hope you found this post – Tips To Travel Safe Travel Smart helpful. Do you have any other tips to add to travel safe travel smart that you would like to share? Please let us know in the comments section.

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Smart destinations: quality tourism for visitors and sustainable development for residents

August 29, 2018 por Juliana Bettini Leave a Comment

The time has come to plan your much-desired vacation, at last! Where do you start? Reading your favorite travel blog and its recommendations? Researching about the destinations where those wonderful photos posted by your friends on Instagram were taken? Or looking for the best flight deals online? No matter which way you want to go around it, at some point in this planning process, you will use technology. Have you thought about how technology changed the way we organize and enjoy our trips? And have you noticed how tourist destinations and places we want to visit have adapted themselves to this (not so new) reality?

The internet completely changed the way we travel. Back in the days, the first step in the decision to travel was to find a travel agent or buying a printed travel guide. For little over 10 years this whole process has been comprised to few clicks on the screen of your smartphone. Travelers are increasingly more independent when gathering information from different sources to plan their trip. Also, travelers use technology to improve the experience at their destinations and later, to share their experience and encourage or discourage other travelers. The apps and platforms developed in the tourism sector are varied and rank among the most popular ones worldwide. In addition, leisure travel is becoming increasingly popular: every year more people travel and desire to discover new destinations.

All this makes for a change of paradigms in the planning and management of tourist destinations. Before, travel destinations relied on travel agents to position themselves in the markets. Today, they directly reach the final consumer – that is, the tourist – to achieve success. Before, a bad experience in a hotel or a museum was shared only with close friends. Today, this experience can reach millions of tourists through social media.

While technological evolution encompasses challenges, it also brings opportunities for tourist destinations, which can generate a varied array of products and services highly targeted to the specific wishes and needs of both visitors and local communities.

With this disruptive and complex scenario has emerged the concept of ‘smart destinations’, a new perspective on how tourism can be managed and the role of local institutions in it. Being a smart destination does not mean using technology to continue “doing business as usual”. Being a ‘smart destination’ implies changing the way of thinking about tourism management based on the new possibilities facilitated by technologies, adapted to local realities. A smart destination is a geographical space (which can range from a neighborhood to a network of cities) where tourism development is planned and executed based on technological infrastructure, allowing local sustainable development while providing quality of the experiences for visitors and the quality of life for locals.

The question is how can we achieve this?  Shifting into a smart destination is a process, a way forward. For this, the public and private sectors as well as the civil society must be involved in the development of shared governance models that are effective for tourism. Many destinations are already working on fundamental axes for becoming a smart destination, such as the use of big data to increase their knowledge about tourism demand, aiming to offer targeted suggestions of attractions for visitors or personalized experiences, and the development of apps based on open data to improve visitor experience, among many other examples.

In your next trip, we invite you to think about this: Is the destination that you are visiting a smart destination? Your findings can be amazing!

Juliana Bettini

Juliana es especialista en Turismo del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) y representa al BID en Brasil desde 2015. Lidera la cartera de proyectos financiados por el Banco en el sector turístico del país, además de trabajar en otros proyectos en América Latina y el Caribe. Con una trayectoria de 15 años en el sector turístico, ha dedicado gran parte de su carrera a la planificación estratégica de destinos y negocios turísticos ya los estudios de mercado sectoriales. Graduada en Turismo por la USP, tiene una especialización en Investigación de Mercados y una Maestría en Planificación y Gestión de Destinos por la Universidad de Alicante, España.

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HOME » NEWS » Expert Opinions » Expert Articles about Smart Tourism » Our Definition of Smart City and Smart Destination

Our Definition of Smart City and Smart Destination

Many tourism professionals are wondering: what is a smart destination or smart city for tourism?

In our opinion, the answer is complex on the one hand, but simple on the other. From the point of view of an independent or smart tourist’s needs, a smartphone and the Internet should be enough for a full travel. Moreover, the second is a destination’s responsibility – provide a tourist with cheap and high-speed Internet, and this is perhaps the first sign of a smart destination.

It seems to be simple, but if you start to understand the nuances, there are many problems that DMOs, museums, hotels, travel businesses do not notice or prefer not to notice, which leads to escalation of these problems.

In classical marketing and Internet marketing, there is a simple concept of Client Journey – the client’s path from knowing to purchase and getting the product. Let’s look at a typical smart tourist’s path to some destination.

It all starts with a choice – where to go. At this stage, according to a study by Expedia Media Solutions, even if a tourist has decided on a destination, he visits an average of 38 different sites.

Therefore, the sites and social networks of DMOs, visit centers and local travel agencies are so important. And far from always the sites have all the necessary information. They are often not updated, load slowly and have a whole list of technical and content problems that have not been resolved for years. Sites require periodic checks that we can provide .

Next, a tourist starts to look for a way of getting to the selected place. It is quite ok with global airlines, but local rail and bus services, as a rule, are much worse. It is often impossible to buy tickets online, find a timetable, the Internet is not available in transport, etc. Moreover, it is not always possible to order a taxi online – especially if there is a language barrier. Here, DMOs should work together with the transport business.

Then, a tourist looks for sights, tours and museums that he can visit, and food points to eat. He looks for reviews of other travelers at TripAdviser and various social networks. And there are problems again. Many businesses don’t maintain their pages well, don’t respond to reviews, don’t post photos, and don’t answer questions. There is a low qualification of business owners, although learning is not difficult at all. We have free lessons, based on them DMOs can organize trainings for local tourism businesses and help them with the development of Internet marketing technologies . 

Museums hold a special place, since they are not just entertainments, but also messengers of the cultural-historical code. Here, as a rule, everything is bad: there is no information in different languages, no content, social networks are poorly maintained, and so on. Moreover, the problem can easily be solved by creating virtual tours and mobile audio guides that let tourists make in advance virtual tours of selected museums in desired language. And inside museums they can use their smartphones as audio guides . 

Some tourists visit the sites of Visit Centers, but often, unfortunately, these organizations simply print paper catalogs, brochures and maps that are distributed to tourists. In our opinion, this is harmful and impractical, since it negatively affects the environment, takes up extra space and increases the amount of garbage. It is much more rational to issue electronic guides that can be downloaded to your smartphone or similar audio guides to cities and surrounding areas. It costs even less than the design and printing of paper products and takes up only virtual space.

Then a tourist searches for a hotel and here, thanks to Booking.com and the like, everything is more or less ok. Although hotels often don’t respond to reviews, don’t indicate additional services and, in general, are not convinced to visit them.

It is also important in smart tourism that a smart tourist is a responsible tourist. He, as a rule, shares his impressions of the trip on social networks. And if he doesn’t like something, he can leave an unfavorable review, which will lead to a decrease in the number of people wishing to visit this place. Therefore, DMOs and the travel industry should carefully monitor their online reputation and immediately respond to negative reviews in a detailed and motivated manner and take measures to fix the problems.

Of course, the technologies will make adjustments to the tourism sector in the future, but in this article we are talking about shortcomings that, in our opinion, DMOs and the travel industry can correct now and become closer to the concept of “smart” and “future” tourism, and we are ready to provide them a possible help .

In addition, to make it clear – what prevents each travel industry or DMO from becoming a smart city – we have an online checklist of 100 questions, after passing it everyone can receive their forward estimate by email. This is our indicator of BIST – the Basic Index of Smart Tourism. It’s easy and free. Link .  

Author:  Dmitriy Tin  – founder of Center Smart Tourism GmbH Editing and translation into English:  Leonid Andrianov

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UNWTO 2009 UNWTO Tourism Resilience Committee Stresses Need for “Smart Tourism” http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/unwto-tourism-resilience-committee-stresses-need-for-%E2%80%9Csmart-tourism%E2%80%9D/ (20 August 2013).

Wang, D., X. Li, and Y. Li 2013 China’s “Smart Tourism Destination” Initiative: A Taste of the Service-dominant Logic. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management 2:59-61.

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Xinhuanet 2011 China National Tourism Administration Director: To Achieve Smart Tourism in 10 Years http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2011-07/12/c_121657795.htm (25 August 2013).

Zhang, L., N. Li, and M. Liu 2012 On the Basic Concept of Smarter Tourism and its Theoretical System. Tourism Tribune 27(5):66-73.

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Zhang, L., Yang, J. (2016). Smart tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01384-8_175

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Coral reforestation helps restore desolated reefs around Landaa Giraavaru Island on Baa Atoll in the Republic of Maldives.

For travelers, sustainability is the word—but there are many definitions of it

Most people want to support sustainable tourism, even though the concept remains fuzzy.

The word “overtourism” is a relatively new term—but its novelty has not diminished the portent of its meaning: “An excessive number of tourist visits to a popular destination or attraction, resulting in damage to the local environment and historical sites and in poorer quality of life for residents,” according to the Oxford Dictionary .  

As travel recovers from pandemic lows, travelers are once again experiencing the consequences of overtourism at enticing, but crowded, destinations. The UN World Tourism Organization, along with public and private sector partners, marks September 27 as World Tourism Day and uses this platform to discuss tourism’s social, political, economic, and environmental impacts.

This day highlights the importance of sustainable tourism —a framework for engaging travelers and the travel industry at large in supporting goals that include protecting the environment, addressing climate change, minimizing plastic consumption , and expanding economic development in communities affected by tourism.

Getting the facts

A National Geographic survey of 3,500 adults in the U.S. reveals strong support for sustainability. That’s the good news—but the challenge will be helping travelers take meaningful actions. According to the survey—which was conducted in 2019—while 42 percent of U.S. travelers would be willing to prioritize sustainable travel in the future, only 15 percent of these travelers are sufficiently familiar with what sustainable travel actually means.  

( Learn about how to turn overtourism into sustainable global tourism .)

In the National Geographic survey, consumers most familiar with sustainable travel are young: 50 percent are 18 to 34 years old. Among travelers who understand the sustainable travel concept, 56 percent acknowledge travel has an impact on local communities and that it’s important to protect natural sites and cultural places.

The survey has informed National Geographic’s experiential travel and media businesses and sparked conversations for creating solutions around sustainability. Our travel content focuses on environmentally friendly practices, protecting cultural and natural heritage, providing social and economic benefits for local communities, and inspiring travelers to become conservation ambassadors. In short, we see every National Geographic traveler as a curious explorer who seeks to build an ethic of conserving all that makes a destination unique.

Building better practices

National Geographic Expeditions operates hundreds of trips each year, spanning all seven continents and more than 80 destinations. Rooted in the National Geographic Society ’s legacy of exploration, the company supports the Society's mission to inspire people to care about the planet by providing meaningful opportunities to explore it. Proceeds from all travel programs support the Society’s efforts to increase global understanding through exploration, education and scientific research.

National Geographic Expeditions offers a range of group travel experiences, including land expeditions, cruises, and active adventures, many of which take place around eco-lodges that are rigorously vetted for their sustainability practices.  

These independent lodges incorporate innovative sustainability practices into their everyday operations, including supporting natural and cultural heritage, sourcing products regionally, and giving back to the local community.

For example, South Africa’s Grootbos Lodge launched a foundation to support the Masakhane Community Farm and Training Centre. Through this program, the lodge has given plots of land to local people who have completed the training, increasing their income and access to local, healthy foods; so far the program has benefitted more than 138 community members.

As a media brand, National Geographic encourages travelers to seek out and support properties that embrace a mission to help protect people and the environment. Not only do these accommodations make direct and meaningful impacts in their own communities, but staying at one helps educate travelers in effective ways to preserve and protect the places they visit.

Supporting sustainability

The travel industry is crucially dependent on the health of local communities, environments, and cultures. As many experts note, we need to invest in the resiliency of places affected by overtourism and climate change to achieve sustainable tourism.

( Should some of the world’s endangered places be off-limits to tourists ?)

National Geographic’s coverage stresses the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and encourages travelers to step off the beaten path and linger longer, respect cultural differences and invest in communities, reconnect with nature and support organizations that are protecting the planet. Here are 12 ways to travel sustainably , reported by our staff editors.

Storytelling can help by highlighting problems brought on by tourism and surfacing practices and technologies to mitigate negative impacts. A key goal of our storytelling mission at National Geographic Travel is to dig deeper into the topic of sustainable tourism and provide resources, practical tips, and destination advice for travelers who seek to explore the world in all its beauty—while leaving behind a lighter footprint.

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• PEOPLE AND CULTURE
• CLIMATE CHANGE

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100+ SMART Travel Goals

This page features a curated list of travel goals. I created it as a source of inspiration for my 100 life goals project and wanted to share it with others in hopes of inspiring them to create their own goal list.

There is an overabundance of bucket list ideas circulating online that lack the necessary specificity, measurability, and time-bound nature to make them actionable goals. Therefore, I curated a list of SMART goals that are more specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Whether you're young or old, there's something on this list for everyone. So, read on to discover some of the best travel goals that can help you transform your life and achieve your travel dreams.

An important note before scrolling down:

The list below includes 100+ travel goal ideas, but if you're looking for a bigger list then download my book, The SMART Bucket List .

It includes a list of 1000+ SMART goal ideas from various categories, such as fitness, travel, personal growth, and more. Each goal is crafted to meet the SMART criteria, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to create a truly actionable goal list.

Click here to download it for FREE . Additionally, you’ll get my Design Your Dream Year workbook, containing a proven step-by-step action plan to check off those big goals on your list.

* One more thing, if you decide to take part in any of the goals listed below, you do so entirely at your own risk. Some of the goal ideas listed here can be risky, so seek out guidance if you decide to try them out, especially the challenging ones.

With this in mind, let's rock and roll!!

SMART Landmark Travel Goals

Here are a few specific examples of SMART goals that you can set for this type of travel:

• Visit Machu Picchu within the next 2 years
• Visit the Great Wall of China within the next year
• Visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam within the next year
• Visit the Colosseum in Rome within the next year
• Visit the Petra archaeological site in Jordan within the next 3 years
• Visit the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain within the next year
• Visit the Acropolis in Athens within the next year
• Visit the Palace of Versailles in France within the next year
• Visit the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt within the next year
• Visit the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona within the next year
• Visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, India within the next year
• Visit the Forbidden City in Beijing within the next year
• Visit the Palace of Westminster in London within the next year
• Visit the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes within the next year
• Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris within the next year
• Visit the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro within the next year
• Visit the Acropolis in Athens, Greece within the next year
• Visit the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy within the next year
• Visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco within the next year
• Visit the Tower of London within the next year
• Visit the Vatican City in Rome within the next year
• Visit Machu Picchu in Peru within the next year
• Visit the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul within the next year
• Visit the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia within the next two years
• Travel to Australia to see the Great Barrier Reef within the next three years
• Visit the Galapagos Islands within the next three years
• Visit Iceland to see the Northern Lights within the next two years
• Visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam within the next year
• Travel to Australia to see the Great Barrier Reef within the next three years, booking the trip by the end of this year

SMART Luxury/Alternative Travel Goals

• Stay in a houseboat in Amsterdam within the next year
• Stay in a yurt in Mongolia within the next 3 years
• Stay in an igloo hotel in Lapland within the next 2 years
• Spend a week on a houseboat on the backwaters of Kerala within the next 2 years
• Stay in a castle hotel in Scotland within the next 2 years
• Stay in an eco-lodge in the Amazon Rainforest within the next 3 years
• Spend a week in a treehouse in Costa Rica within the next 3 years
• Spend a week in a yurt in Mongolia within the next 3 years
• Stay in a traditional ryokan in Japan within the next 3 years
• Spend a week on a houseboat on Lake Powell within the next 3 years
• Stay in an ice hotel in Sweden within the next 4 years
• Stay in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora within the next 2 years
• Spend a week in a beachfront villa in Bali within the next 2 years

SMART Epic Journeys Goals

Here are a few examples of SMART goals in this specific area of travel:

• Take a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego within the next year
• Take a road trip through the Scottish Highlands within the next 3 years
• Go on a road trip through the Australian Outback within the next 2 years
• Take a road trip along the California coast with the family during the kids' spring break
• Take a roadtrip trip to explore national parks in Utah next year
• Take a road trip to Yellowstone National Park during the summer of next year
• Take a road trip to explore the Grand Canyon in Arizona within the next 2 years
• Take a train journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway within the next 5 years
• Take a cross-country rail trip across the United States within the next 2 years
• Take a family trip to Hawaii to learn about Hawaiian culture within the next 3 years
• Go on a backpacking trip in the Andes Mountains within the next 4 years
• Spend a week exploring the ancient ruins of Athens within the next 2 years
• Spend a month exploring the Galapagos Islands within the next 4 years
• Explore the European countryside via rail, taking a scenic route from Amsterdam to Vienna and visiting at least 5 other countries along the way, within the next 3 years
• Take a cruise to Alaska within the next three years
• Cruise down the Nile River within the next 5 years
• Take a river cruise down the Danube within the next 2 years
• Spend a week on a cultural immersion program in Morocco within the next 3 years
• Take a luxury rail journey on the Eastern and Oriental Express from Singapore to Bangkok, including a private cabin, fine dining, and sightseeing, within the next 2 years
• Take a solo rail trip to Japan, visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, and other cities on the Shinkansen bullet train network within the next 18 months
• Take a solo road trip to Australia, exploring the vast countryside from Perth to Sydney on the Indian Pacific, within the next 2 years
• Take a road trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, joining in the festivities and experiencing the city's rich culture and history, within the next 2 years
• Take a scenic cruise through the Norwegian fjords, stopping at picturesque towns and villages along the way, within the next 2 years
• Complete a multi-day trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, reaching an altitude of at least 17,500 feet, within the next 3 years

SMART Travel Experiences Goals

Here are some examples of SMART goals that you can set for this type of travel:

• Go on a wine-tasting tour of Napa Valley within the next year
• Go on a safari in Kenya within the next 3 years
• Go on a whale watching tour in Alaska within the next year
• Spend a week on a meditation retreat in Bali within the next 3 years
• Spend a week on a yoga retreat in India within the next 3 years
• Spend a week volunteering in a rural village in Tanzania within the next 4 years
• Go on a Disney Land vacation with the family within the next 2 years
• Go on a surf trip in Hawaii within the next 2 years
• Visit the Blue Lagoon in Iceland within the next year
• Spend a week skiing in the Swiss Alps within the next 2 years
• Take a photography tour of Iceland within the next 3 years
• Take a language immersion course in a foreign country within the next year
• Go on a food tour of Italy within the next 2 years
• Go on a culinary tour of Japan within the next 2 years
• Go on a glacier hiking tour in Iceland within the next 2 years
• Attend a traditional tea ceremony in Japan, learning about the history and cultural significance of the practice, within the next year

SMART Festivals & Celebration Goals

Here are a few examples of SMART goals that you can set for this type of travel:

• Attend the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro within the next 3 years
• Attend the Dia de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico within the next 2 years
• Attend the Holi Festival in India within the next 2 years
• Attend the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans within the next year
• Attend the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, experiencing the food, music, and beer culture of this iconic event, within the next 2 years
• Attend the Full Moon Party in Thailand within the next 3 years
• Attend the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona within the next 2 years
• Attend the next Summer Olympics
• Attend the Burning Man Festival in Nevada, USA, within the next 3 years, experiencing the art, music, and community of this unique event
• Visit Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, watching the parade and experiencing the vibrant atmosphere, within the next 18 months
• Explore the colorful and elaborate Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico City, visiting museums, markets, and cemeteries, within the next year
• Attend the Coachella music festival in California, USA, watching live performances by my favorite artists and discovering new ones, within the next 12 months
• Visit the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China, admiring the incredible ice sculptures and enjoying winter sports, within the next 3 years
• Take a trip to India during Diwali, experiencing the vibrant lights, music, and food of the country's biggest festival, within the next 2 years
• Attend the La Tomatina festival in Bunol, Spain, participating in the tomato fight and experiencing the local culture, within the next 18 months
• Take a trip to Thailand during Songkran, experiencing the traditional water festival and learning about the country's culture and history, within the next year
• Attend the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, USA, watching independent films and meeting filmmakers and actors, within the next 12 months
• Visit Edinburgh, Scotland, during the Fringe Festival, experiencing the world's largest arts festival and enjoying the city's history and architecture, within the next 2 years
• Attend the Holi Festival of Colors in India, experiencing the colorful powders and music of this joyous celebration, within the next 18 months
• Take a trip to Japan during the Cherry Blossom Festival, admiring the stunning blooms and experiencing the country's unique culture and food, within the next 3 years
• Attend the Rioja Wine Harvest Festival in Spain, experiencing the wine-making process and enjoying the food, music, and culture of the region, within the next year
• Attend a major international music festival, such as Coachella or Glastonbury, within the next 2 years, seeing at least 10 different artists perform live

SMART Romance Travel Goals

• Take a honeymoon trip to Bora Bora and stay in an overwater bungalow for at least a week within the next year
• Renew our vows on a secluded beach in the Caribbean, with a private ceremony and a romantic dinner on the sand within the next 2 years
• Plan a surprise weekend getaway to a cozy cabin in the woods, complete with a fireplace and hot tub, within the next 6 months
• Book a romantic river cruise in Europe, visiting at least 4 different countries and enjoying gourmet dining and entertainment along the way within the next 3 years
• Take a couples' cooking class in Tuscany, Italy, learning to make authentic pasta and enjoying local wine and cheese within the next 18 months
• Spend a week in Bali, Indonesia, indulging in spa treatments and enjoying the beautiful beaches and temples within the next 2 year
• Take a road trip along the California coast, stopping at romantic destinations such as Big Sur and Napa Valley within the next year
• Plan a surprise date night in Paris, France, including a private boat ride on the Seine and a romantic dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant within the next 6 months
• Attend a destination wedding in Mexico and extend the trip to enjoy a romantic beach getaway, with activities such as snorkeling and horseback riding within the next year
• Book a luxury safari in Tanzania, staying in a private tented camp and seeing the Big Five animals in their natural habitat within the next 3 years
• Take a romantic hot air balloon ride over the Napa Valley, followed by a private wine tasting and gourmet lunch within the next 2 years
• Plan a surprise weekend trip to New York City, including tickets to a Broadway show and a carriage ride through Central Park within the next 6 months
• Take a couples' yoga retreat in Costa Rica, practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques in a beautiful natural setting within the next 18 months
• Visit the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, hiking the Inca Trail and enjoying a romantic dinner with a view of the mountains within the next 3 years
• Book a private yacht charter in the Greek Islands, exploring the crystal clear waters and enjoying sunset dinners on deck within the next 2 years

Other Travel Goals

Here are a few more examples of SMART goals that you can set in the area of travel:

• Visit at least 10 countries in the next 5 years
• Visit three new countries within the next two years, spending at least two weeks in each country
• Visit all seven continents before turning 40, completing the goal within the next 10 years
• Achieve status as a top-tier frequent traveler with a major rail company by logging at least 50,000 miles in the next 12 months
• Visit every single station on the New York City Subway system by the end of next year, taking a picture at each stop as evidence
• Plan and book a multi-generational family vacation by rail, including grandparents, parents, and children, to a scenic destination in the next 2 years
• Visit the Seven Wonders of the World, including the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum, within the next 10 years

More Goal Ideas?

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Update April 12, 2024

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Are you traveling or living outside the U.S.? STEP is a free service that sends you emails with updates from the local U.S. embassy or consulate. If there’s an emergency where you are, it helps us contact you with instructions on what to do.

Why join STEP?

• Get real time updates about health, weather, safety, and security in the country.
• Plan ahead using information from the local U.S. embassy.
• Help the embassy or consulate contact you if there’s an emergency like a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a family emergency.

What kind of messages does STEP send? Currently, STEP sends emails only. STEP can send you several types of information:

• Routine Messages : News and updates about the country you picked.
• Alerts : Messages about short-term security, terrorism, health, weather, or disaster situations that could impact your travels.
• Travel Advisories : We re-evaluate the situation in each country every 6-12 months. Advisories include a simple 1-4 rating system, details about specific risks in the country, and clear steps U.S. citizens should take to stay safe.

Join the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

After you set up your account, you can pick what types of messages you want to get.

Stay in touch during an emergency.  Signing up for STEP helps the U.S. embassy get in touch with you if there’s an emergency. And, if your family or friends in the U.S. can’t reach you with urgent news while you’re traveling, we can use the information in STEP to try and contact you.

Become a Smart Traveler Now!   STEP is an easy first step to being a smart traveler. You should also always research your destination , and consider additional ways to get safety and security information from the U.S. Department of State, like on social media.

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Smart Travel

Embrace the adventure

Smart travel – Embrace the adventure

Smart t ravel – embrace the adventure    .

Whether you’re looking for the best work commuter options, things to do in Queenstown with kids, or trying to figure out if Lupin Lake Tekapo really is the most beautiful nz destination, Smart Travel can help you make it happen.   

We’ll help you find the best travel ideas, the best routes, and the best way s to get there by helping you to travel smartly. On top of that, we’ll help you make climate friendly transportation options , so that you can travel stress-free .  

What does it mean to travel smart ?     

While travelling is at the top of many people’s bucket list, it can also be intimidating and scary. There is a large range of decisions to be made: whether to travel alone or with s omeone , where to travel, what to pack, what to visit, etc. Preferably, as travel is by nature expens ive , it should also be done on a budget. That is where smart travel comes in.   

Smart travel is all about finding the right tools to create a smooth and sustainable trip , whether your destination is your office or an awaiting adventure . This can be done by reading packing hacks, learning which travel insurance is best, as well as find the cheapest means of transportation.   

Going on an NZ Roadtrip    

Are you in the mood for an adventure? Why not make a smart road trip through New Zealand?  

New Zealand is famous for its gorgeously diverse natural sightseeing opportunities. As a result, it’s a most appropriate place for a NZ road trip. Furthermore, it’s a great way to build new relationships or deepen existing ones by creating an experience you’ll never forget. Plus, it can be more affordable than flying or taking a bus, and you can go at your own pace.  

By following our travel planning guides, the entire country can become your playground. Explore ou r website to find the best road trip destinations New Zealand and more.  

Are you an i nternational traveller?  

If you are an international traveller who is looking to road trip your way around the northern and southern islands, there are a few transport facts to remember when planning your trip.   

For example, New Zealand engages in left side driving. Furthermore, the country does not specialize in motorway systems. Rather, these types of roads are limited to city areas whereas a lot of the country is connected by two-way single file roads with winding and steep landscapes.   

As a result , it’s important to calculate your timing with some extra margins, rather than being time optimists for long distance trips.  

Travel Planning    

It is not unusual for people arranging trips to experience travel planning nervousness. Although this can be one of the most fun parts of a trip as you explore what there is to see and pick your preferences, there are many factors to consider in order to make a trip come together.   

Luckily, there is a plethora of easily accessible tools and tricks to make the process easier. For example, there are tools such as a mileage calculator or a fuel cost calculator may come in handy, as well as a large range of other planning tools.    

Our guides can help you with large scale planning, such as travel itineraries and packing lists, as well as exploring transportation options and money saving trip-tips.  

Q uick smart travel tips    

To ensure that your travel is as smart and smooth as you want it to be, there are some things to consider before you start your smart lifestyle . Here are a few tips to get you started:   

Read reviews, compare prices, and check out photos before you book anything. This will help you avoid any surprised when you arrive at your destination or meet-up spot.  

The sooner you start planning, the better. This will give you more time to research and make sure you are getting the best deal on transportation and accommodation. If you are looking at carpooling options, this will also give you time to look at back-up plans just in case.  

Decide how much you are willing to spend on your trip. This will help you narrow down your options and find the best deals.  

If you are flexible with your travel dates, you may be able to find better deals. For example, this will give you less stress in case something were to come up or not go as planned, such as a cancelled car-share.  

If you are used to driving on your own, changing your transport to a smart car sharing option might feel intimidating. However, if you see it as a fun adventure rather than a chore, it is guaranteed to make you more excited for your day.  

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Travel advice explained.

When travelling overseas, it's your responsibility to take care of your safety and wellbeing. Our travel advice will help you understand the risks and what you can do to avoid or handle difficulties.

This page explains:

• our travel advisories for destinations and our general advice
• how we develop and update our travel advisories
• what each advice level means in travel advisories .

Don't expect the Australian Government to be able to get you out of trouble during your travels. Read the Consular Services Charter for what we can and can't do to help you overseas.

Smartraveller travel advice

Australians love to travel internationally, and many of us live abroad. To help Australians avoid difficulties overseas, we offer advice on a variety of travel-related topics.

This includes publishing official travel advisories and advice to help you avoid problems while overseas. Our travel advice helps Australian travellers make informed decisions.

Travel advisories

We maintain travel advisories for 178 destinations, assigning an overall advice level to each. The advice levels reflect the risks for Australian travellers in each destination.

We continually review and update our travel advice based on credible information. Each travel advisory provides destination-specific information about:

• local contacts.

It's your responsibility to be informed about all the destinations you're visiting, including those you’re transiting through. This includes understanding risks and planning for your safety . It's also your responsibility to stay informed throughout your travels in case circumstances change.

Travel advice for other destinations

We don't publish travel advisories for countries and territories with very few Australian travellers and/or where the risks are low.

We regularly review whether travel advisories are needed for these destinations. Our consular partners in Canada , the United Kingdom or the United States also publish destination travel advice that you may wish to read.

General travel advice

We prepare and publish general advice on a range of travel topics. Our advice helps Australians to be informed and prepared before they go. It also helps Australians to stay safe while overseas.

See our general advice for before you go and while you're away . Also see our advice on what to do if you're overseas and things go wrong .

How we develop travel advisories

We frequently review our travel advisories. However, we don't change them for all issues and incidents.

We update travel advisories if there are new or increased risks to Australians. This can be in response to new developments, such as credible intelligence reporting, major protests or unrest , new entry requirements or a natural disaster .

Our advisories are an objective assessment of the risks Australians face overseas. They're not influenced by diplomatic, political or commercial considerations. In our travel advice, we adhere to the principle that there is no difference in information about security and other risks provided to Australian travellers and Australian government employees.

Sometimes advisories are updated with new information without changing the level of advice. If we judge that the risk for Australians hasn't changed, we won't change the advice level.

If we change the advice level, it's usually because of a specific event or changes to local circumstances. When we change it, we'll state this in the 'Latest update' section at the top of the travel advisory page.

We use a range of information sources in our travel advisories. These include:

• Australian diplomatic missions overseas
• threat assessments produced by ASIO's National Threat Assessment Centre
• analysis of common problems Australians experience overseas
• intelligence from our consular partners in the US, UK, NZ and Canada
• information from other government agencies, such as the Department of Health
• media and open-source reporting
• feedback from travellers.

If a travel advisory hasn't been updated for several months, it's not out of date. There's just been no need to update it.

What does 'advice level' mean?

We assign each destination an official advice level of 1, 2, 3 or 4. These levels reflect the risk for average Australian travellers to this country. For each level, we provide advice to help Australians avoid or reduce the risks.

A higher advice level means higher risk. The levels are:

• Level 1 - Exercise normal safety precautions
• Level 2 - Exercise a high degree of caution
• Level 3 - Reconsider your need to travel
• Level 4 - Do not travel .

It's important to read and understand the advice level for each country you're travelling to or through. The advice level can affect your safety and your travel insurance .

Where to find the advice level for your destination

Every travel advisory displays an overall advice level for the country. The advice level is shown on the bar at the top of the travel advisory . The advice level is also shown by the colour on the country map.

Sometimes regions or cities within the country have different levels. This can be because of specific risks or safety concerns. We publish this in the travel advisory on the page and on the map.

Changes to advice levels

It's your responsibility to keep informed about any changes to the advice level. If it increases, take extra precautions and consider the advice carefully.

• Subscribe to get an email when we update the travel advice for your destinations. You can also subscribe for news updates.
• Follow Smartraveller on Facebook , X and Instagram to get updates on social media. You can also follow the social media accounts of your nearest Australian mission for local information and advice.

Read our information for each advice level to understand the risks. Take the right precautions before you go and while you're away .

Travel insurance and advice levels

Before booking travel and purchasing travel insurance , ensure you're aware of and comfortable with the advice level for your destination . Some policies will only allow you to cancel for safety reasons if the advice level increases after you've bought your policy.

If the advice level hasn't changed, most travel insurers won't cover your cancellation costs if you decide not to go for safety reasons.

If the travel advice level is raised to ' Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel ' or ' Level 4: Do not travel ' and you want to cancel your trip, contact your insurer. Find out if you can make a claim to cover cancellation costs or changes to your itineraries.

Each travel insurance company will be different. Check with yours directly.

Many insurance policies still won't cover any COVID-related claims. Check the inclusions carefully before you purchase.

Level 1: Exercise normal safety precautions

Use common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour, as you would in Australia.

At level 1, the security environment is similar to that of a large Australian city.

This doesn't mean the local situation will be the same as in Australia. Laws and social customs could differ significantly. You could face terrorist attacks , civil unrest , violent crime or unique health threats. But overall, the risks are not greater than those you'd face in an Australian city.

If you travel to a location with an advice level of 1, it's your responsibility to:

• monitor the media and other sources for changes to local travelling conditions, safety, health situation and security concerns
• be aware of local differences and, as appropriate, take similar precautions to those you would take in Australia
• check entry, testing and vaccination requirements before you travel and check you have appropriate records.

Keep in mind that being in an unfamiliar location without your support mechanisms always creates additional challenges, even if the local environment is similar to Australia.

Level 2: Exercise a high degree of caution

Pay close attention to your personal security and the current health situation. Monitor the media for new and existing risks.

At level 2, there are more or higher risks than what you would typically find in a large Australian city. We're not saying 'don't go' to this location. But you should do your research and take extra precautions.

The level may reflect a weak law-and-order system, where violent crime is common. The destination may lack some key public services, such as a responsive police force.

In some cases, there may be a risk that the security environment could change with little warning. This level may also reflect a passing event, such as political unrest or a short-term increase in a location's domestic terrorism level.

If you travel to a location with an advice level of 2, it's your responsibility to follow all the advice for level 1, as well as the following.

Before you go

• Research the health situation and services available for your destination’s entry requirements and any local restrictions on movement, events and gatherings.
• Understand the basics of the political and security situation.
• any dangerous areas of a city
• types of crimes
• risky modes of transport
• specific precautions for women or LGBTI travellers
• any behaviour that may offend or break the law.
• Check your travel insurance policy and coverage, particularly if there is a travel disruption or a change in travel advice.

While you're away

• Monitor the health risks in your location and keep track of any changes to restrictions. 
• Maintain good hygiene and physical distancing when interacting with other people.
• Stay in contact with your airline operator or travel provider for changes and updates.
• Be aware of religious holidays or days of national significance. Terrorists have launched attacks on these occasions.
• Understand the safety of public transport options.
• Plan your daily movements and vary your routines and travel routes.
• Avoid known flashpoints, including protest areas.
• Don't wander into unknown areas.
• Avoid or minimise your time at places that terrorists may target.
• Leave an area at the first sign of unrest or if you feel uneasy.
• Be aware of building exits and always know the safe places you can access if you feel threatened.
• Take notice of the people around you and their behaviour. Be aware that you may misinterpret some behaviour in an unfamiliar cultural setting.
• When discussing your plans, avoid sharing details that others may overhear.
• Be cautious about the information you share on social media.
• Refuse unexpected packages or offers.

Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel

Avoid non-essential travel. Do your research and check that your insurer will cover you. If you do travel, take extra precautions to protect yourself from security and health risks.

At level 3, there are serious and potentially life-threatening risks. This can make the destination unsafe for tourism and unsuitable for most travellers. This could be due to:

• an ongoing threat of terrorism or kidnapping
• travel disruptions
• frequent incidents of violent crime
• ongoing civil unrest
• widespread infectious disease
• other safety risks.

Think seriously about your need to travel to these places. This may mean postponing non-essential travel or choosing a less risky destination.

If you decide to travel, it's your responsibility to reduce your risks and stay safe. The Australian Government is limited in how and when it can help if you get into trouble. Conditions may change at any time. Be prepared for an extended stay or significant disruptions to travel.

These countries often have an unpredictable security environment. We may temporarily assign this advice level when there's been a major incident. This could include a natural disaster , terrorist attack , civil unrest or global pandemic that has made the destination too risky for most travellers.

Our advice levels also apply to Australian officials travelling overseas. Officials must undertake a detailed security risk assessment before travelling to these areas. They may have to adopt specific protective security measures.

If travelling to a destination with an advice level of 3, follow all the advice for levels 1 and 2, as well as the following before you go and when you get there.

• Research the political and security situation from a variety of sources before booking. Understand the risks. Check the news and social media and understand what's going on.
• Check your travel insurance policy carefully. It may not cover travel to 'reconsider your need to travel' destinations.
• Understand the health situation and risks for your destination, entry requirements and any local restrictions on movement, events and gatherings due to health risks.
• Research the health services available. Services may be strained and not be the same as you would receive in Australia.
• Pre-book accommodation in safe areas with appropriate security.
• Get local advice on your itinerary. Follow advice on areas to avoid.
• Minimise time spent in airports by scheduling direct flights if possible. Avoid stopovers in high-risk airports.
• Stay as short a time as possible. Eliminate unnecessary activities .
• Think carefully about your security at your hotel and getting around. Organise tailored security arrangements and prepare contingency plans.
• Ask your tour operator about their safety record and security arrangements. This includes safety equipment, extra security, emergency plans and evacuation procedures.
• Regularly review your security arrangements. The threat environment could change at short notice.
• Have an up-to-date will and enduring power of attorney in case you die . Designate appropriate insurance and beneficiaries.
• Be aware of the health risks for your location. 
• Pre-plan your travel routes. Have contingency plans in place.
• Be prepared to change your plans in response to evolving threats.
• Avoid potential terrorism targets. Know what to do in the event of a terrorist attack .
• Stay alert and always be aware of your environment. Look out for suspicious activity or items, and report anything of concern to local authorities.
• Don't discuss travel plans with strangers. Never share personal information with people asking questions without good reason.
• Don't discuss your plans or risk management strategies where they might be overheard by others.
• Don't share information about your travel arrangements on social media.

How to minimise your exposure to risks

• Avoid travelling alone, especially after dark and on long trips.
• Minimise travelling by foot. Be vigilant in public areas.
• Before getting into a vehicle, check it for anything suspicious.
• Make sure any vehicles you use are in good working order and have enough fuel to get you out of unexpected trouble.
• When driving , keep your car doors locked and your windows up.
• Watch for people following you. Be ready to take evasive action.
• Avoid using public transport. Only use trusted private transport.
• Check the safety record of your travel service providers. Always use available safety equipment, even if others don't.
• Never take something across a border for someone else. You could be arrested or jailed if it contains something illegal, such as drugs .
• Don't meet strangers in your hotel room or unknown or remote places.

Make contingency arrangements

• Wherever you are, have a plan of action in case the environment becomes unsafe.
• Be prepared to change your plans at short notice. This could include changing meetings or activities to less prominent areas or less dangerous days.
• Always carry a charged phone. Save local emergency contact details in it.
• Tell a trusted person where you're going and when you plan to return. Discuss and agree on what action they should take if you don't return at the planned time.
• Maintain contingency kits. Include medical supplies, food, water and fuel. This can help sustain you through any period of heightened unrest.
• Carry provisions with you when getting around .

In the event of a crisis , departure options may be severely limited. You're responsible for ensuring you can depart independently and that your travel documentation is up to date. Don't expect the Australian Government to organise your departure. See the Consular Services Charter to understand how and when we can help.

Level 4: Do not travel

If you're already in this location, you should consider leaving if it's safe to do so. If you do travel, get professional security advice. Your travel insurance policy might be void. The Australian Government may not be able to help you.

At level 4, your health and safety are at extreme risk. This may be because of a high threat of terrorist attack , conflict, violent social unres t, widespread infectious disease or critical levels of violent crime. It could be a combination of risks.

If you travel to this location, you're at a high risk of death , imprisonment , kidnapping or serious injury.

If you get into trouble, the Australian Government may be unable to help. In most cases, our ability to provide consular assistance in these destinations is extremely limited.

Any travel by Australian officials to 'Do not travel' locations is subject to high-level approval and is based on a rigorous risk assessment.

You should not travel to this location. If you travel to this location despite our advice, you should note that you may be unable to leave the location quickly if your circumstances change. If you're already in a 'Do not travel' area, consider leaving if it's safe to do so. If, despite our advice, you decide to travel to a location with a travel advice level of 4, it's your responsibility to follow all the advice for levels 1, 2 and 3, as well as the following.

• Check your travel insurance . Most standard policies won't cover you for 'Do not travel' destinations.
• Consider your security. Get independent, professional security advice. You may need to hire personal protection.
• Have robust risk management measures in place. This includes a detailed emergency management plan.
• Understand that you could die . Make sure you have an up to date will and enduring power of attorney. Designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries.

It's your responsibility to take care of your security. The Australian Government can't provide security assistance or advice.

• Exercise extreme caution.
• Follow the advice of your personal protection service.

If you die overseas in a 'do not travel' destination, it's unlikely your travel insurance will cover you. Your family will be left to deal with your death. This includes organising your funeral and bringing back your remains. They may also have to resolve legal or financial issues in the destination and in Australia.

• Read the travel advice for all the destinations you're travelling to, and through.
• Read our general travel advice and tips before you go .
• Read the Consular Services Charter for what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.
• Contact the Consular Emergency Centre if you're overseas and need urgent help .
• Read the guides for travellers , including the travel insurance buying guide (CHOICE).

Related content

The consular charter outlines the consular services and assistance provided by the Australian Government. In some circumstances, our assistance may be limited.

The Australian Government can provide some notarial services. The services we provide depends if requested in Australia or overseas. We charge fees for our service.

Foreign authorities may request a document to be issued with an Apostille or an Authentication certificate before they will accept it. This is called ‘legalisation’.

Smart Meetings

Summer 2024 Travel Trends with Meaning

by Morgan Saltz

April 22, 2024

Make your summer meetings meaningful and memorable with these tips and trends

Summer is approaching fast and meeting professionals want to stay up to date on every seasonal trend. This summer is looking at experiential travel—whether that be a relaxing health and wellness retreat, a culturally rich destination or an environmentally conscious and responsible gathering, summer 2024 trends are geared towards progressive practices.

Smart Meetings has curated a list of the hottest trends and destinations meeting planners will want to consider when planning a meeting or conference this summer. With these tips and recommended venues, your summer meeting or event will be memorable, meaningful and even give back to the community.

Sustainable Luxury

Sustainability is a topic constantly at the center of meetings and events industry conversation and it’s evolving as more than a trend to become a revolution of eco-friendly awareness in business standards of practice. Being altruistically eco-conscious, rather than greenwashing (using the trendy distinction for marketing purposes), resorts that are truly dedicated to the cause resonate with meeting professionals and attendees alike.

The Stanford Inn & Resort on the coast of Northern California in Mendocino County partners with John Jeavons’ GROW BIOINTENSIVE to open The Field School . Focused on the next generation, The Field School offers training programs to promising youth about living sustainably and holds the hospitality industry to a high standard of environmental responsibility through creating training programs that provide instruction on land-use, farming, building codes, nutritional standards and above all—sustainability. With sustainability as a ubiquitous and immortal topic swirling in the meeting and events industry, meeting professionals are flocking to the most sustainable places available.

Cultural Experiences

The meaningful and mindful impact of incorporating cultural experiences into your itinerary is not only about creating memories and connections, but also helping the meetings and events industry contribute to humanitarian progression and understanding. Whether it is through learning a skill that is regionally significant to the destination, embarking on a culinary adventure with a menu of traditional cuisine or visiting community-based tourism museums and projects, the meetings and events industry is continuing to expand its interest in cultural experiences.

New Orleans is an ideal destination for cultural tourism and visitors will have a difficult time choosing what to eat, see and experience with all of the global influences in the city. The Eliza Jane Hotel sets the tone for visitors to absorb the city’s history and have easy access to its modern excitement. Inspired by 19 th -century poet and publisher Eliza Jane Nicholson, this boutique hotel on Magazine Street is only steps away from iconic food and beverage establishments such as Commander’s Palace , and Café du Monde as well as famous music venues like the historic jazz spot The Spotted Cat Music Club . Between Magazine Street and the famous French Quarter, visitors of New Orleans will be surrounded by exciting options from one of the most culturally rich cities in America.

Alternative Tourism

More and more professionals are becoming less enthused with open bars or drink tickets and interested in trying more holistic offers at events—a practice now referred to as “alternative tourism.” With 46 states passing varying degrees of decriminalization legislation surrounding marijuana and CBD being legal since 2018, groups are interested in educating themselves about the booming cannabis industry and the hospitality industry is taking notice.

Top destinations for cannabis consumption are no longer confined to the stereotypical overseas one may think of such as Jamaica and Amsterdam. With Denver as a pioneer for alternative tourism, cannabis dispensaries and lounges—its Hotel Teatro was the first to implement a CBD cocktail menu in its in-house restaurant The Nickel —THC/CBD friendly hotels are popping up in major destination cities including Toronto, Seattle, the Bay Area and Las Vegas. But meeting professionals—make sure to check out the cannabis laws of your destination, as they differ amongst different states.

Healing Retreats

Mindfulness and work/life balance are becoming increasingly apparent as a necessity for not only individual mental health and wellness but overall productivity within a corporation and its industry. Especially in the summer months, a time associated with finding more relaxation and enjoyment in life, attendees will appreciate a summer meeting or event that has options for healing and wellness between work obligations. While it is true meetings, conferences and work-related events should have attendees focused on the tasks at hand, healing and wellness options in summer 2024 are trending more than ever and meeting professionals who incorporate healing and wellness will be sure to receive rave reviews.

For an oasis in the California desert in the outer Palm Springs area, the newly opened Sensei Porcupine Creek is an ideal destination for an incentive or small executive retreat focused on healing and wellness. With a mentality of three intersecting principles—move, nourish and rest—visitors can take advantage of the expansive options on the campus to fulfill all three modules in the resort motto’s criteria. Whether it is hiking on the trails of Rancho Mirage, stargazing at the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory or meeting one on one with a Sensei Guide for a fully tailored wellness itinerary, healing and wellness focused destinations and activities for summer 2024 will be a trend that will have attendees returning to your events.

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