ICT as a Support for Value Chain Management in Tourism Destinations: The Case of the City of Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract

The accelerated development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has had an impact on the way tourism is carried out today. The concept of smart cities and smart destinations is gaining momentum, which also requires smart consumers, i.e., informed, communicated, and connected. In this sense, the application of the value chain concept to tourism implies reconsidering the weight of digital technologies in its structure and, therefore, in the decision-making process of current and potential tourists. The study aims to demonstrate the need and convenience of incorporating technology as an innovative factor in the management process of the tourism value chain and its contribution to the positioning of the destination, taking the city of Cuenca (Ecuador) as a case study. The contributions are, firstly, the ICT adoption as an innovation factor in the value chain. In addition, through a survey of foreign tourists, it was verified that ICTs are a trend as a personalized communication channel, which contributes to valuing the integral tourism offer of the territory.