Saltar para o conteúdo principal

FCCNFCT Digital Services

Access the national information on scientific and technological funding in Portugal

Activity Funded

European Observatory of Smart Tourism Initiatives and Tools

Observatório Europeu de Iniciativas e Ferramentas Inteligentes para o Turismo

Reference
2024.07579.IACDC
Project Start Date
2025-04-01
Project End Date
2026-01-31
Principal Investigator
Scientific Area
Exact sciences
Funding Program
Inteligência Artificial, Ciência dos Dados e Cibersegurança de relevância na Administração Pública

Abstract

Adopting digitalization, innovation, and new technologies in the tourism sector is contingent upon smart tourism tools (STTs) availability. Such tools can facilitate the optimization of efficiency and sustainability in tourism operations. Moreover, awareness of past initiatives in smart tourism may catalyze the aforementioned uptake. The objective of the EUROSTIT project is to develop a comprehensive observatory that will provide a broad overview of the various Smart Tourism Tools and Initiatives currently available in Europe. A set of published catalogs was employed as a source of bootstrap content for a prototype version within the context of the European RESETTING project, which preceded this project proposal. The prototype is deficient in advanced, user-friendly search functionality and content classification. The plethora of technological solutions, coupled with the wealth of past experiences and lessons learned, necessitates a meticulous and methodical approach to identifying the optimal technological solutions and the underlying principles that must be adhered to to achieve the desired outcomes. A validated taxonomy, developed within the scope of RESETTING, will be employed to classify all European STTs identified. The EUROSTIT Observatory will constitute an independent entity associated with the ISTAR-IUL research unit, focusing on issues and challenges pertaining to the digital transformation of tourism, a sector with a significant impact on Portugal's balance of payments. The EUROSTIT team will critically examine the smart tourism ecosystem, thereby advancing scientific knowledge and transferring it to society. Furthermore, it will contribute to the definition of research methodologies, the formulation and evaluation of policies for promoting sustainable tourism (in terms of the environment, society, and the economy), and the provision of analysis and advice. The project is comprised of four interrelated tasks. The initial task entails the construction of aframework for large language models (LLMs), encompassing the architectural design, fine-tuning, and deployment infrastructure necessary to achieve optimal performance. The second task aims to enhance the European STT Observatory from its beta version to a more adaptable and user-friendly platform, incorporating advanced functionalities such as category-based search and chatbots. The third task, designated "Smart ETL" (Extract, Transform, Load), is concerned with the transformation phase, with a particular emphasis on applying deep learning techniques to the automatic classification of content. The final task, "Intelligent Interaction," aims to develop a chatbot and its subsequent integration into the Observatory. The collective outcome of these tasks will be the development of advanced data processing and user interaction solutions, which will simultaneously enhance both the technical infrastructure and the user experience. This, in turn, aims to significantly improve technology uptake in the tourism industry, facilitating the delivery of enhanced and more sustainable tourist experiences.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Associação ISCTE Conhecimento e Inovação - Centro de Valorização e Transferência de Tecnologias (Iscte CI-CVTT)

Other Institutions

  • Associação NEST - Centro de Inovação do Turismo (NEST)
  • Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Lisboa (INESC-ID)

Funding 119.009,60 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

0,00 €

União Europeia - Estrutura de Missão Recuperar Portugal (UE - EMRP)

119.009,60 €
  • 2025-04-01 a 2026-01-31
  • 2024.07579.IACDC