Activities
The Chairs main objective is to promote the implementation of projects and activities that allow for the incorporation of technologies and innovations aimed at the digitization of processes and the creation of products and services in the tourism sector, thereby contributing to the development of more innovative, smart and sustainable management of tourism.
Tourism intelligence arises with the incorporation of knowledge, technologies and innovations aimed at the digitization of processes and the creation of technologically advanced products and services with greater added value in the tourism sector. Thus, Smarttour-INN aims to contribute to developing a more innovative, intelligent and sustainable management of tourism.
Scheduled activities
Conference of the Telefónica-Nebrija Chair in Tourism Intelligence
Over the past decade, there has been an increasing emphasis on personal and social health and well-being. Consequently, there is now a growing demand for outdoor activities and recreational spaces. This has brought attention to the role of travel and tourism in promoting healthy lifestyles and extending life expectancy.
Review all the information here
HackForGood IX (March 14-15-16, 2024)
Welcome to the largest hackathon in our country!
Join us at HackForGood, where over 1,000 students across several cities collaborate to develop technology solutions with a social purpose. Plus, we will be awarding over €50,000 in prizes.
For more information, check out all the details here
Improvement of intelligence systems for smart tourism destinations
INTELDEST project together with the company TDDS: Check for Innovation Program funded by the Community of Madrid, within the framework of the regional research and innovation strategy, for an intelligent specialization (RIS3) of the Community of Madrid.
INTELDEST is part of the research and development in Tourist Intelligence Systems (TIS), as a basic tool for public and private managers.
Smarttour-inn and TDDS collaborate to develop their advanced TIS to generate an innovative service that improves the performance and resilience of tourist cities and regions.
- System of National Accounts and Tourism Situations Log
As part of the collaboration framework agreement signed with the Tourism Board, the "System of National Accounts" is published as a complement to the INEs Spanish Tourism Satellite Accounts as well as, on a quarterly basis, the study "Situation of Spanish Tourism", which analyzes the sector dynamically through 14 variables. - Confidence Indicator of the Spanish Hospitality Sector
With the support of the FEHR (Spanish Hospitality Federation), a confidence indicator is published on a quarterly basis that allows companies in the sector to project their business impressions or assessment on the evolution and state of sales in the sector compared to previous and later quarters. - Collaboration Agreement between Nebrija University and the State Mercantile Society for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies, S.A.M.P SEGITTUR.
The agreements between both institutions attest to the universitys support of the fields of research, academic activities such as teaching courses, seminars, and the exchange of experiences and projects with regards to new technologies and innovation that contribute to the digital transformation of the Tourism sector.
SEGITTUR and Nebrija University agree to drive the promotion of smart tourist destinations
Conference of the Tourism Intelligence Chair Network at FITUR.
Within the framework of FITUR 2024, the director, Aurkene Alzúa, and the coordinator, Sandra Monroy, of the Telefónica-Nebrija Chair in Tourism Intelligence participated in a conference organized by the Network of Tourism Chairs, of which they are members. They held a meeting with Enríquez Martínez, President, and Carlos Romero, Director of Research, Development, and Innovation at SEGITTUR, to advance efforts toward fostering more intelligent and sustainable tourism.
Smart Tourism Day in Campo de Criptana
The involvement of the Telefónica-Nebrija Research Chair in Tourism Intelligence at the Smart Tourism Conference in Campo de Criptana underscores a pioneering approach to technological advancements in the tourism industry. Under the direction of Aula UCLM-Tierra de Gigantes and spearheaded by Professor Estrella Díaz, the conference has convened distinguished professionals to deliberate on the transformative impact of technology on tourism. Notably, the discussions have emphasized the pivotal role played by artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and big data.
A key feature of the event was a round table coordinated by our leading researcher from the tourism department at Nebrija University, Aurkene Alzua-Sorzabal. The session underscored the significance of collaborative efforts among smart tourism chairs, aiming to foster the implementation of projects and activities that facilitate the integration of cutting-edge technologies and innovations. These initiatives are specifically geared towards the digitization of the tourism sector.
Third edition of Ledu Stem Telefónica Chairs
Next May, the third edition of Ledu Stem Telefónica Research Chairs will be held.
This is a university debate league for students of STEM degrees (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), organized by Telefónica in order to encourage students in these areas to develop communication and oral presentation skills.
It consists of 3 phases: group league, semifinal and final. The group league (May 5 and 6) and the semifinal (May 7) will be held by telephone (via the Zoom platform), and the final (May 12) will be in person at the Telefónica headquarters (Distrito Telefónica).
The teams are made up of two members, one of them being the captain, and the structure is the same as in an academic debate contest, it opens with the presentation of the arguments according to the assigned position (for or against), it continues with the rebuttals and ends with the conclusions.
In 2023, the question to be debated will revolve around a highly topical issue: Is digitization an ally of the green transition?
LEDU Stem has become a true Think Tank of future digital leaders, which, among other materials, has resulted in Imagining the Future, a Digital Pact written by young people, a publication that compiles the vision of these students on the challenges and opportunities of the digital society.
The winning team of LEDU Stem will receive a trophy and a place to participate in the final phase of the Spanish University Debate League that faces the 16 best teams in the nation. The prize for the winning team of the Spanish University Debate League amounts to 6,000 euros. The second will receive €3,000. The judges will also select the best speaker of the competition.
The Telefónica-Nebrija Research Chair in Tourism Intelligence will participate with a team of first-year students, who will represent Nebrija University, made up of:
• DANIEL FELIPE DE CASTRO HERNÁNDEZ, double Bachelor's Degree student in Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics (Captain)
• NATALIA GONZALEZ DOMINGUEZ, student of the Bachelor's Degree in Engineering in Industrial Design and Product Development.
The Nebrija Institute of Professional Competences (INCP) and the Research Service (SI) have worked together to promote this initiative among Nebrija students, have selected the students who will participate in the league, and are providing training and support to the students that make up the Nebrija team that will be presented at LEDU Stem.
In addition, both departments will continue collaborating to monitor current and future candidate students, likely to participate in upcoming LEDU Stem events.
This initiative is an opportunity for the Nebrija students of the Polytechnic School, since it is more than an incentive for them to train their communication skills, it is also a complement to training and an addition to the curriculum of our STEM students.
StrategyHack: How to implement a digitalization strategy at your university
On March 9, 2023, starting at 4:00 p.m. (Spanish time) we invite all university professors to participate in the presentation of the webinar on Digital Education Strategies in universities within the European StrategyHack project developed by UNIR iTED in collaboration with the Telefónica-UNIR Research Chair in “Digital Society and Education.”
Agora Conference of the Telefónica Chair. Moving towards the future: from digital acceleration to the metaverse in tourism experience
On December 2, at 11:30 a.m., the Agora conference of the Telefónica-Nebrija Chair will be held in the Assembly Hall of the Madrid-Princesa Campus. It is an open space for debate on digital transformation, tourism and society at the University.
The market is strongly driven by innovations in AR and VR technology, the rollout of 5G, the introduction of digital assets, and the increasing penetration of the Internet into the metaverse. This can be defined as a set of shared virtual spaces that are indexed in the real world and accessible through 3D interaction. The idea of interactive virtual worlds could help alter the way customers interact with other places and can replace some instances of physical travel, without hurting the industry. The main reason to enter the metaverse in the travel and tourism market is an increased focus on booking volume and experience. For this reason, the managers of tourism companies and other decision makers must be aware of the changes (as well as benefits) that this new technology can generate.
During the conference there will be a round table with speakers invited to the panel, which will include the Secretary of State for Tourism of the Spanish Government, Fernando Valdés.
At the end of the event, the Prizes for the best Final Research Projects in Bachelor's and Master's degrees will be presented for this 1st edition of Awards for the Telefónica-Nebrija Chair in Tourism Intelligence.
Free prior registration is required to attend in person or online.
We’ll be expecting you!
Presentation of the book “Transitioning towards the future of tourism destinations”
On December 1, the book "Transitioning towards the future of tourism destinations: Resilient, smart, and green development" will be presented in the Assembly Hall of the Madrid-Princesa Campus; this book was edited by professors Francisco Femenia-Serra (UCM), Aurkene Alzua-Sorzabal (PI of Smarttour-INN, Nebrija University) and Zheng Xiang (Virginia Tech, USA), recently published by Civitas Aranzadi-Thomson Reuters.
The book, which is part of the collaborative collection between Nebrija University and the aforementioned publisher, aims to be a reference in the field of tourism, and contains a collection of eleven chapters that address issues such as ecological transition and climate change in tourism, digitization processes of destinations, events and companies, as well as big data analysis and adaptation to contexts of high uncertainty and crisis. The volume is also a very useful resource for students, professors, consultants and professionals in the tourism sector, as it addresses highly topical and applicable matters in the field of tourism, management, planning and marketing of destinations and companies.
The presentation will be preceded by an inaugural conference, followed by the participation of the three editors.
Free prior registration is required to attend in person or online.
We'll be expecting you!
HACKFORGOOD
Would you like to change the world? Participate in HackForGood.
Telefónica, through its Network of Research Chairs, and within the framework of social innovation, promotes a new edition of HackForGood, an inter-university face-to-face event in which Nebrija University takes part, through its Telefónica-Nebrija Chair in Tourism Intelligence, and to be held simultaneously in thirteen Spanish cities on October 20, 21 and 22, 2022.
In this edition, in which over €50,000 will be distributed in prizes (local, global and Big Day), more than 1,000 students from all over Spain will participate.
Any Nebrija University student who thinks of themself as a hacker for good, who is enthusiastic, creative, innovative, who has ideas, initiative and motivation will be welcome to this challenge, which will become the largest national social Hackathon.
You can participate by proposing a challenge (CHALLENGER), looking for solutions to those challenges (HACKER FOR GOOD), or by publicizing the activity (REPORTER).
Registration
To sign up, follow the steps below:
- Send an email to s.investigación@nebrija.es indicating your intention to participate in HackForGood, full name, degree and current year of studies.
- Complete the registration, sending your data in this registration form
Don’t forget to carry out both steps to confirm your participation.
Challenges launched from #HACKFORGOODNEBRIJA
Challenge 1: Low carbon tourism and informed travelers
The greater availability of leisure time, hyperconnectivity and hypermobility have allowed the tourism sector. to grow. Following the opening of some of the world's largest economies to tourism, international travel has grown exponentially over the last two decades, from 674 million in 2000 to 1.5 billion tourists in 2019. Tourism has become one of the sectors most relevant underpinning the world economy. Along these lines, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) have announced a plan for a tourism activity free of carbon emissions, as reflected in the Declaration of Glasgow for tourism climate action presented at COP26.
The ecological transition of the tourism sector is, therefore, a priority in the development of tourism in the coming years. In this process, technological tools -focused on marketing and big data-, or artificial intelligence, can be essential to implement a correct integration of knowledge on sustainable behavior and supply that favor climate change mitigation.
How we decide to travel, where we stay, what we eat or the activities chosen during the days of the trip, are some of the factors that influence the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that we emit. People's ability to schedule their activities and vacations depends not only on political will or available infrastructure, but also on access to information.
What type of technological system could be developed so that tourists can make an assessment of their perception, their opinions regarding the visited city's projected involvement in sustainability? Would this tool allow the tourist experience to be personalized based on some parameters of low-carbon tourism planning?
Challenge 2: Rural tourism, decarbonization and social welfare
Tourism is an activity that contributes directly and indirectly to the development of rural areas. But this development must be sustainable, generate employment and promote local culture and products. All this in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals and the premises of Climate Change.
In order for tourism destinations and companies in rural areas to be consolidated as a new value proposition with the ability to influence decision-making and travel planning, travelers need to know in advance the reality of each of the territories to which they are considering traveling.
In addition, market studies show that the variables that most influence the tourist's decision and behavior are motivation and the creation of the image of the destination. There is a need for a greater understanding of culture and heritage embedded in their socio-environmental contexts, including the role of traditional and local knowledge, as well as learning from the past as enjoyment.
Networking and ability-building tools focus on knowledge sharing, skill building, communication and outreach between communities, businesses and individuals by promoting joint activities between them, in cooperation.
The challenge is to design the technological infrastructure that meets the identified parameters. A tool that facilitates the co-creation of services in which the degree of involvement and commitment of tourist destinations and companies for sustainable development can be assessed. Gather these low carbon emission economy commitments and disseminate the progress and impacts achieved as a mechanism to encourage the tourism experience in rural areas.
"Sustainability and Intelligence in Premium Tourism" Conference
The Department of Tourism of the School of Social Sciences, with the support of the Telefónica-Nebrija Chair in Tourism Intelligence, has organized next Thursday, March 17 at 17:00h the conference on “Sustainability and Intelligence in Premium Tourism”. The following speakers will be present: Almudena Maíllo del Valle, Head Councilor of the Delegated Area of Tourism of the Madrid City Council; Damián Castaño Vieito, Director of Telefónica in Madrid; Fabián González, Founder & CEO of Forward.travel; and José Luis Rodríguez Gamo, Chief Business Development officer of Green Urban Data, Environmental intelligence for cities.
They will hold a round table in which they will discuss the challenges and opportunities of this segment, the need to incorporate sustainability and tourism intelligence for its development, their experience of working in this field and the importance of having trained professionals.
The presentations will take place in the assembly hall of the Madrid-Princess Campus, and can also be watched online, after registering for free.
>We hope this will be of interest to you, and if you consider it to be of interest to your students, please encourage them to attend in person or provide them with the following link to register.
Meeting with the Movistar+ and Open Innovation team
