Integrated Planning for a Smart Tourist Destination: the case of Ponta Grossa (PR, Brazil)

Abstract

The research refers to the analysis of the municipality of Ponta Grossa (PR, Brazil) in the context of the Brazilian Smart Tourist Destinations (DTI) methodology. The municipality demonstrates potential for ecotourism given the presence of key environmental conservation areas, including the Campos Gerais National Park and the Vila Velha State Park. The research is limited to the evaluation of 59 requirements in the chapter “destination operation,” related to the nine methodological axes of the proposal: governance, sustainability, accessibility, creativity, mobility and transportation, safety, innovation, promotion and marketing, and technology. The data were collected between June and July 2023 and analyzed based on a compliance scale from 1 to 5, with 3 being the minimum score for compliance with the requirement. The results showed that there were no requirements with a score of 1 and that 40.67% obtained a score of 4. The highest average score was in the technology axis, driven by the use of digital platforms and telecommunications infrastructure. On the other hand, the innovation and safety axes had the lowest performance, with a lack of formal documents and defined internal processes. The conclusion points out that Ponta Grossa is currently a Smart Tourist Destination in Transformation, but with a need to improve the requirements that are not yet compliant in order to achieve definitive certification. The study contributes to the understanding of the applicability of the DTI methodology in Brazil and points to ways to qualify tourism management in line with the principles of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.