Tequila Certified as Latam’s First ‘Smart’ Tourist Destination

Since 2016, Tequila has been implementing the methodology of the Spanish Ministry of Tourism (SEGITTUR) to become the First Smart Tourism Destination in Mexico and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

The methodology has five pillars — innovation, technology, sustainability, accessibility and governance — and seeks to achieve a tourism destination management model through 400 indicators.

A Smart Tourism Destination

What it is: An innovative tourist destination, consolidated on a state-of-the-art technological infrastructure, that guarantees the sustainable development of the tourism territory, that promotes accessibility for all, that facilitates the interaction and integration of visitors with the environment and increases the quality of their experience in the destination and improves the quality of life of residents.

What it seeks: Competitiveness.

What it achieves: The implementation of a pioneering methodology that focuses on incorporating new technologies and innovation in work processes, always at the service of the objectives of sustainability and accessibility in a governance model that seeks efficiency, transparency and participation.

For the destination, the application of this methodology means:

• Prioritization of the intervention in the destination according to the objectives and requirements of a smart tourism destination.
• An increase in competitiveness, thanks to the better use of its tourism resources and the identification and creation of others.
• An improvement in the efficiency of production and marketing processes, boosting the sustainable development of the destination.
• An improvement in the quality of stay of visitors and the quality of life of residents.
• To make the tourism strategy the basis of the economic dynamization of the territory, guaranteeing its positive effects in the long term.

To maximize these benefits through synergies between destinations and the transfer of knowledge, the Network of Intelligent Tourism Destinations (RED DTI) was created. With this certification, Tequila has become a member of the DTI Network.

Thanks to the integration of the DTIs in a common space, the aim is to achieve strategic alliances between them and the private sector, provide assistance in the implementation of the methodology and offer a portfolio of services to facilitate their conversion and continuity in the process, such as training and capacity-building, access to databases of grants, subsidies and funding, technological solutions and international visibility.

In short, it is a tool for coordination, cooperation and reflection that provides value to Tequila for its effects on the development of the tourism sector and its residents.

Tequila has excelled in the different technological and non-technological pillars, as follows:

Governance: thanks to the Council for the Integral Development of Tequila (CODIT), which is made up of Tequila's entrepreneurs, the public sector, the tertiary sector, academia and local leaders.

Technology: Tequila has big data, free Wi-Fi in the Historic Center, traceability, mobility analysis, access points and information systems.

Accessibility: Tequila is moving decisively to achieve global accessibility of the destination, with physical infrastructure for restricted mobility, an application designed with the Magical Towns Program that will benefit both residents and tourists.

Innovation: a dynamic, innovative society is crucial for competitiveness; Tequila has been recognized for its continuous innovation, especially in tourism products.

Sustainability: Tequila has certifications in sustainable tourism and mitigation of its carbon footprint (Mundo Cuervo) and has made considerable progress in the use of alternative energy, especially solar energy.

Grupo JB, Mundo Cuervo, CODIT, the Tequila Route, the Municipality of Tequila and SECTURJAL stand out in this certification for their support and consistency in monitoring indicators and their management and achievements since 2016.

As cities mature and become more sophisticated, there comes a time when better services, infrastructure, investment in technology and connectivity and, above all, management are necessary. SEGITTUR's DTI model has shown that it has a great future in Latin America and Tequila has been its flagship.