Emerging paradigms in tourism industry: smart tourism and local development

Destination management has undergone a profound transformation under the wave of the shift toward smart tourism. The aim of the paper is to provide an overview this emerging change and, adopting a deductive approach, derive propositions to enhance the overall understanding of the phenomenon. The originality of our contribution lies in the attempt to relate smart tourism to local development. Social Media, and the enormous amount of data generated (Big Data) are crucial factors in increasing the degree of smartness of a destination as well as in providing a smart touristic experience. Furthermore, low-cost carriers have further revolutionised destination management. They have established novel approaches to the booking process from tourists point of view, and a smarter approach in the interaction with tourists themselves. Their presence further increases the smartness of a destination and its attractiveness toward different segments of travellers, including digital nomads and potential start-uppers, who can act as key drivers of local growth and development.