Smart Growth for International Tourism – SmartGIT

The project sustainably, permanently and innovatively develops the destination’s data-driven digital transformation, B2B buyability, digital visibility, AI-enabled competence, and the international competitiveness of tourism businesses. The project strengthens the Oulu region’s position in the growth of international tourism and develops resource-wise operating models in cooperation with various stakeholders in the sector.

As a result of the project, tourism companies will understand global trends in smart and data-driven tourism, the requirements of internationalisation, and modern digital and AI-optimised tools and methods. Companies will be able to utilise data sustainably and permanently in the development of their operations.

Project’s goals:

• Examine the destination’s competitiveness, data-driven management and digitalisation in comparison with international standards, and define development and competence requirements based on these findings.
• Develop the region’s visitor experience through digital tools and analyses based on behavioural data and artificial intelligence.
• “Tourism Innovation Lab” – Conceptualise and make the tourism development ecosystem more visible, and test and develop both existing and new operating models to improve resource efficiency, international visibility, targeted communication and buyability, in a long-term and sustainable manner at both destination and company levels.
• Provide companies with information and support for sectoral development through webinars, workshops and networking events.
• The Tourism Innovation Lab activities are open to everyone and free of charge.

Through Visit Tampere’s parallel implementation and Visit Finland’s role in the steering group, the joint project is part of interregional development activities. National cooperation supports and strengthens the project’s objectives and increases its impact.

The project has a parallel implementation, which is part of Tampere’s larger Shared Experience Economy Data Framework (SEED) project. The parallel implementation is managed by Visit Tampere. Visit Finland acts as the project’s expert cooperation partner. The key objective of the interregional cooperation is to develop national collaboration and resource wisdom by creating synergies between different organisations carrying out projects and development activities.