‘Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism’

Tourism is entering a new technological era. Artificial intelligence (AI), big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), geospatial and immersive technologies, digital payment systems, and intelligent platforms are transforming how people discover, plan, book, and experience travel. They are also changing how destinations are marketed, managed, and governed. The theme of World Tourism Day 2026, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” highlights the potential of digital transformation and AI to create a more innovative, sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism sector.

Tourism is no longer simply about travelling from one place to another; it has become a digitally connected ecosystem. Tourists discover destinations through social media, obtain information from AI assistants, develop itineraries, make online bookings and payments, navigate digitally, and share experiences through online platforms. The tourism experience increasingly begins before arrival and continues after the journey, creating opportunities to transform the entire value chain.

From Digital Tourism to Intelligent Tourism
The initial phase of digital tourism focused on putting information and services online through websites, booking systems, digital maps, and social media. AI takes this further by processing large volumes of information, identifying patterns, generating content, making recommendations, and supporting decisions.

For tourists, AI provides personalised recommendations, itinerary planning, translation, and real-time information based on interests, time, and budget. For businesses, it supports demand forecasting, digital marketing, customer relationship management, service personalisation, and resource allocation, enabling small enterprises to reach wider markets.

Redesigning the Tourist Experience
AI makes tourism more flexible and personalised. Instead of relying only on standardised packages, tourists receive recommendations based on individual interests. Wildlife enthusiasts receive information on appropriate habitats, seasons, observation points, and local guides, while cultural tourists are directed towards heritage sites, museums, cuisine, crafts, and cultural activities.

Augmented reality (AR) provides historical or ecological context at destinations, virtual reality (VR) allows pre-travel exploration, and digital storytelling makes cultural and environmental information engaging. However, technology should enhance rather than replace authentic tourism experiences, strengthening connections among tourists, communities, culture, and nature.

For Bangladesh, the 2026 theme provides an opportunity to modernise tourism management and promotion. The country possesses diverse resources�"including the Sundarbans, Cox’s Bazar, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, archaeological sites, rivers, wetlands, forests, tea landscapes, and rich cultural heritage�"yet many remain underdeveloped in digital visibility, interpretation, visitor management, and integrated marketing.

Smarter Destination Management
AI holds significant potential in destination management, helping address overcrowding, congestion, waste generation, environmental degradation, and pressure on natural resources. AI-supported systems analyse visitor flows, forecast peak periods, reduce congestion, and redistribute visitors. Digital technologies also support carrying-capacity assessment, biodiversity monitoring, visitor management, waste control, and emergency response.

The Sundarbans provides an important example: digital monitoring could analyse visitor movements, seasonal patterns, ecological sensitivity, and tourism pressure to support appropriate zoning, product diversification, and better visitor management.

AI for Sustainable Tourism
AI and smart technologies support energy management, transport optimisation, waste reduction, demand forecasting, and environmental monitoring by integrating data on visitor numbers, resource consumption, waste, and ecological conditions. They also strengthen climate-resilient tourism through early warnings and hazard preparedness, particularly in Bangladesh.

Conversely, digital transformation is not automatically sustainable. Digital infrastructure consumes energy, generates electronic waste, and AI systems require substantial computing resources. The environmental footprint of these technologies must also be considered.

Empowering Communities and Small Enterprises
Digital transformation must ensure that local communities and small tourism businesses share its benefits. Digital platforms help local guides, women entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, community organisations, and small businesses reach visitors directly. Community-based tourism organisations can also highlight their conservation and livelihood contributions.

This is particularly vital for rural and peripheral destinations. However, digital inclusion requires affordable connectivity, digital literacy, training, and access to finance. Without these, technological benefits may remain concentrated among large companies and technologically advanced destinations.

Digital Divide and Ethical Challenges
The rapid development of AI presents critical challenges. Large tourism platforms generally possess greater access to data, technology, expertise, and financial resources than small operators. Without appropriate policies, digitalisation could widen existing inequalities. AI-driven recommendations may also favour destinations with greater digital visibility, increasing visitor concentration in popular places while lesser-known destinations remain overlooked.

Privacy and data security are equally important, as tourism generates substantial personal information. Responsible tourism AI should be guided by transparency, accountability, privacy, fairness, and human oversight. AI-generated information must also be verified for inaccuracies regarding destinations, culture, history, and environmental conditions. Human expertise and judgment should remain central, with AI augmenting rather than replacing human reasoning.

Skills and Employment in Future Tourism
AI will reshape tourism employment, automating routine activities while creating new occupations. Tourism professionals will increasingly require digital literacy, data interpretation, AI awareness, cybersecurity, digital marketing, and technology-enabled destination management skills. Nevertheless, hospitality, empathy, cultural understanding, communication, creativity, and leadership remain essential.

Tourism education and training institutions should incorporate AI, tourism analytics, GIS, smart tourism, digital marketing, data ethics, and sustainable digital destination management into their curricula. The future tourism professional will be a human professional supported by intelligent technology.

Bangladesh and Digital Tourism
For Bangladesh, the 2026 theme provides an opportunity to modernise tourism management and promotion. The country possesses diverse resources�"including the Sundarbans, Cox’s Bazar, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, archaeological sites, rivers, wetlands, forests, tea landscapes, and rich cultural heritage�"yet many remain underdeveloped in digital visibility, interpretation, visitor management, and integrated marketing.

A comprehensive Digital Tourism Agenda for Bangladesh should focus on:
* Developing integrated digital information on attractions, accommodation, transport, safety, accessibility, and services.
* Using AI-supported marketing to promote lesser-known destinations and diversify visitor flows.
* Applying GIS, digital ticketing, visitor-flow monitoring, carrying-capacity assessment, and environmental indicators for smart destination management.
* Strengthening the digital skills of community operators, guides, artisans, and SMEs.
* Using AI and geospatial technologies for biodiversity monitoring, conservation, environmental education, and climate-risk management.
* Establishing standards for data privacy, cybersecurity, transparency, accountability, and human oversight.

The theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism” reflects a fundamental transformation in contemporary tourism. However, digital tourism should not be measured simply by the number of AI applications introduced. Its real value lies in creating better visitor experiences, greater opportunities for workers and communities, better-managed destinations, and improved outcomes for nature and culture. The future of tourism will undoubtedly be digital, but it should remain fundamentally human. The challenge for 2026 and beyond is to redesign tourism intelligently, inclusively, and sustainably.