TIS2023: Ángeles Moreno Reveals Details of the Upcoming Edition

TIS - Tourism Innovation Summit, the international tourism innovation forum that will hold its next edition in Seville from October 18-20, appointed Ángeles Moreno as the new director of the Tourism Innovation Global Summit in June this year. 

Ángeles Moreno has extensive experience in the field of business management and event strategy. She holds a degree in Business Administration and Management with a specialization in Tourism and an MBA. She is the author of the book "The Time Is Now" and co-creator of the "CX Design Playbook", a methodology to explore business trends and innovation in the field of human centricity and innovation. 

On the eve of TIS2023, which this year plans to bring together more than 400 experts from around the world to promote smarter, digital and sustainable tourism, Ángeles Moreno agreed to talk exclusively with Caribbean News Digital.

TIS is coming of age and has become an essential event in the agenda of fairs in the city of Seville. What can we expect from this fourth edition?

TIS is a unique platform to bring innovative ideas, establish strategic alliances with the best partners and learn about the latest technological trends that are shaping a much smarter, innovative and sustainable tourism industry. In addition, this year TIS has expanded its space to give more professionals the opportunity to discover the latest developments in the sector. 

In total, we will have more than 10,000 square meters of exhibition area in Hall 2 of FIBES that will bring together more than 200 exhibiting firms with the most disruptive technological proposals in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud, cybersecurity, ChatGPT and virtual and augmented reality, among many others. In addition, we have made the international leap with Mexico as the guest country of this new edition, which will present the initiatives it is developing to achieve a smarter and more responsible tourism.

What is the roadmap and the novelties you want to introduce as the new director of the congress?

Since its first edition, TIS has become an international meeting point of reference for professionals in the tourism sector. My goal is to consolidate this positioning, for which we will continue to convene the most recognized leaders worldwide, who will be able to tell us their success stories. 

In addition, I will continue to work to provide opportunities and spaces within TIS for attendees to establish strategic alliances to drive the economic and sustainable development of the industry and, at the same time, to generate innovative ideas that translate into better experiences for travelers. 

I am convinced that this objective will come to fruition, as I am accompanied by a team of professionals with solid experience, enthusiasm and dedication, to develop a forum that allows knowledge transfer, fosters business opportunities and helps to visualize new perspectives on how to address current and future challenges. This year we will continue our commitment to provide a useful forum, where to find inspiration, knowledge and the best technology partners to drive the growth and evolution of the tourism sector globally.

Why has Mexico been chosen as the guest country at TIS 2023?

In previous editions of TIS2023, we have presented the strategies of relevant countries in the world tourism scene, such as Portugal, France and the United Kingdom, and on this occasion, we wanted to make the leap to the Atlantic and build bridges between Europe and America. 

We are excited to have Mexico as our guest country, an attractive destination from the point of view of tourism and travel experience, and at the same time a living example of a country that has been able to respond to key challenges in terms of sustainability, international competition and the importance of having adequate infrastructure to welcome tourists. 

Mexico's participation will give professionals attending TIS the opportunity to learn from a delegation of Mexican tourism entrepreneurs and public representatives of the country about the strategies and actions they are promoting to achieve smarter, more innovative and sustainable tourism. In particular, we will be joined by Bernardo Cueto, Quintana Roo's Secretary of Tourism, who will present his tourism management model. 

The A World For Travel forum, which has already been held in other European cities such as Évora and Nimes, will take place within the fair itself. What does this new panel consist of?

In addition to its own vertical forums, TIS2023 has become a platform for integrating relevant congresses from the world of tourism. One of the novelties this year is the celebration of the A World For Travel congress, an event that promotes the transformation and development of sustainable tourism. After being held in Évora (Portugal) and Nimes (France), it comes to Seville with the slogan "Shifting towards the future". 

At this meeting, prominent world leaders will share which initiatives are underway and which will take place in the coming years, offering examples ranging from marine tourism to regenerative tourism, including technological challenges. This will be a unique opportunity to further amplify the diversity of discussion, knowledge and inspiration we find at TIS. 

How important will the presence of professionals and companies be in this fourth edition, compared to previous years?

Professionals are, without a doubt, the heart of TIS. This year, which we expect to exceed last year's figures, we will have more than 7,000 attendees from leading companies across the industry's value chain, who will be able to access high-level conferences, establish synergies with leading technology companies and take advantage of a host of networking activities. TIS2023 is a unique platform to discover the latest innovations in the travel industry.  

In addition, they will be able to keep abreast of the most cutting-edge trends in the sector, thanks to the experience and knowledge of more than 400 world leaders who will share their vision in more than 150 conferences and eight vertical forums dedicated to specific segments of the industry. 

Seville, the city hosting the event, has recently been elected European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023. What has been done well in the city to make it an example of tourism innovation and digitization?

Seville has all the attributes to be the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023. The city is making a strong commitment to developing a thriving and sustainable tourism industry. 

Its creative, accessible and digital approach has earned it this recognition from the European Commission. Its strategic location, well connected for travelers, and its historical, cultural and gastronomic heritage, make thousands of visitors want to walk through its streets, monuments, celebrate festivals and participate in cultural activity. In addition, Seville is implementing innovative urban transformation projects using new technologies. 

How much of the blame does TIS play in this achievement?

Holding TIS in Seville further boosts the city's commitment to sustainable and intelligent tourism, and allows the city to capitalize on its innovative spirit. In addition, the development of the international congress consolidates the strategic positioning of Seville as a prestigious enclave in Europe, while boosting economic growth and development during the days of the event.

In short, TIS and Seville complement each other perfectly. In fact, many of the ideas and technologies we see at TIS are being deployed in the city to improve the functioning of its tourism industry. In addition, the congress has established a strategic alliance with the Seville City Council, and also with the Andalusian Regional Government, which allows us to generate valuable contacts and business opportunities in an environment of great international relevance.

In terms of technological innovations, what will be the main topics to be discussed in this fourth edition?

Technology focused on achieving more sustainable practices in the industry will be a central theme in this edition of TIS. But also all those innovations that are responding to the new demands and concerns of travelers, and that are offering improvements and creating unique experiences. In this sense, TIS will include all those technological tools that are moving the industry towards a more intelligent, digital and responsible approach. 

We will comprehensively address artificial intelligence (AI) and discover how it is contributing to the personalization of travel, the optimization of hotel management, traceability, improved security at destinations and traveler satisfaction, among many other areas of tourism. 

Other innovations that are significantly impacting the industry, and that we will also explore in TIS are cybersecurity, the implementation of 5G technology, data analytics, the use of virtual and augmented reality, geolocation and web 3.0. All of them will help us to create a map of the digitization of tourism and see how a sector in constant transformation is progressing.