Smart tourism is a development concept in tourism sectors that utilizes information technology to build tourism experience infrastructure, including tourists’ experience in accessing information before, during, and after traveling. Smart tourism connects all parts of the tourism value chain into a dynamic digital platform so tourists can create and produce experiences with service providers in real-time and increase the connectivity of tourism businesses and destinations in the global tourism market.
Smart tourism development is considered a solution to increase the connectivity of tourist destinations, especially with difficult access, such as destinations in remote areas and small islands, and integrating stakeholders in one experience platform that can be accessed directly by global tourists. Moreover, islands as tourist destinations also have significant challenges from the natural environment. Climate change, difficulties in addressing waste, utilizing eco-friendly energy, and demands for sustainable practices become challenges in developing island tourism to realize blue economic development.
In research conducted by lecturer in the Tourism Business Management, Vocational Education Program, University of Indonesia, Dr. Diaz Pranita, M.M., said that the massive development of digital technology, especially the use of blockchain technology, is considered a solution to guarantee sustainable tourist area management practices, develop eco-products, and increase inclusiveness.
Blockchain is a centralized and distributed digital ledger that is an absolute record holder for various transactions and activities within a value chain. Blockchain also offers transparency of network-based activities and transactions, where cryptographic protocols and encrypted messages maintain the parties’ confidentiality. Thus, the security system is extremely high. Blockchain technology can also be a breakthrough for reducing transaction and operational costs for stakeholders in the platform using tokens, including taxation.
This research, conducted by Dr. Sri Bachelor, Dr. Budiman Mahmud Musthofa, S.Sos., M.Sc., Hadining Kusumastuti, S.Sos., M.Ak., and Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohamad Sattar Rasul, found that the technology enables for implementing other technological innovations, such as a circular economy to accelerate tourism progress in a region, especially water areas. “In adapting the concept of a blue economy, maritime areas in Indonesia, especially Thousand Islands, can develop a mix of marine products, such as marine/coastal tourism, marine conservation, marine processed products, etc., and ensuring that sustainable practices are implemented consistently,” said Dr. Diaz.
He said that blockchain technology can be used to ensure that every aspect of the development of the blue economy is carried out because it is transparent, traceable, cannot be removed or erased, is decentralized, and can be operated by many actors (interoperability) according to their respective roles. Therefore, support for the preservation of marine resources, implementation of a marine circular economy, and restoration of the health of marine ecosystems which have dominant value for improving the quality of the marine economy, can be ensured through the use of blockchain technology. This aims to ensure the realization of the development of smart tourism in a region, especially island areas which are full of challenges.
The use of digital technology has not been as dominant in the tourism industry as it is today. Not only to support a destination in achieving competitiveness but also to connect its products and services to the global market and enable it to integrate all existing resources. “Digital literacy is an important competency to strive for in the current digital era. It is very important for local talents in tourist destinations. The state needs to support the increase of digital literacy so it can adapt to new and innovative technology in the future. “Digital literacy of human resources in the tourism area will influence the successful adoption of blockchain technology, and support the development of smart tourism,” said Diaz.
The results of this research stated that digital literacy and the blue economy significantly influence the ability to adapt and utilize blockchain technology optimally, which has an impact on achieving smart tourism to increase the competitiveness and sustainability of a destination. Information literacy is the dimension that has the strongest influence in shaping digital literacy while restoring the health of marine ecosystems and has an important impact on strengthening the blue economy.
The development of various aspects, including digital literacy, blue economy, and blockchain technology, can help encourage the sustainability of the tourism industry. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop several derivative concepts for sustainable tourism development in future studies, especially maritime cooperation, economic performance through tokenization, development of biomimicry technology, and conservation of coastal and marine tourism areas.
