This is the final installment of our special three-part series inspired by the Executive Insights Symposium — a gathering of some of the brightest minds in destination marketing and management. Catch up on previous episodes here:
- AI governance for DMOs and their leaders with Janette Roush, senior vice president of innovation and chief AI officer at Brand USA.
- Rethinking DMO leadership in a new era of alignment and purpose with Adam Burke, president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism.
Smart tourism emerged as an aspirational evolution of the smart city 15 years ago. It transcended mass tourism to envision a model where technology, data, and digital infrastructure support not just better travel — but more sustainable, accessible, and creative destination ecosystems.
But now, with artificial intelligence (AI), XR, and machine learning systems accelerating faster than ever, we’re asking: Are we there yet?
To help us unpack this, we’re joined by Dr. Phil Xiang, professor and head of the Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Virginia Tech, and one of the world’s leading researchers on smart tourism and digital transformation.
In this episode, Xiang helps us explore what smart tourism really means today — not just in theory, but in practice — and answer the questions:
- Where is it working?
- Why is progress uneven?
- How can destinations harness the next wave of tech without losing sight of the human connections that make tourism meaningful?
Let’s dig in.
Want more insights like these?
Download the Executive Insights Report and discover how today’s DMO leaders are navigating change and driving impact.
Download your copy