This programme helps hotels to build their smart tourism capacity for digitizing their business models and increasing their competitiveness and so supporting several of the aims of the Cyprus government's Strategy for Tourism 2030. The aims of this programme are also aligned with the strategic imperatives of digitization as recognized by the European Commission and the UNWTO in their post COVID-19 tourism recovery strategies.

By implementing smart tourism business, hotels can build their resilience and competitiveness by addressing pressing issues such as digital awareness, increasing labour costs and shortages, increasing sophistication and expectations of international and local tourists.

• Hotel owners
• General Managers
• Managers of all hotel departments

• Increase hotels' awareness of smart tourism applications and their business benefits

• Develop the appropriate skills and capabilities to embrace, implement and use smart tourism business solutions

• Create the appropriate smart tourism strategies for supporting their digital transformation

• Encouraging organisational change by motivating the staff to embrace, adopt and use smart business solutions in the hotel

• Develop a comprehensive Action Plan

The programme leader is Marianna Sigala, who is an experienced consultant, with many years working in Greece, UK and Australia.
She has conducted many seminars related to hotels, restaurants and tourism sector as well as e-commerce strategies, electronic, social media and destination marketing. She has published 14 books and over 100 articles on hospitality and tourism topics.

• Hotels becoming role models for smart tourism

• Support both back-office and front-office of their operations

• Enrich and enhance their guest experiences during the whole customer journey i.e. before, during and after the meal experience

• Benefits of the above mentioned smart business solutions for the hotels, their guests and the whole tourism destination and society

• Building smart capacity

• Developing smart business strategies

After the 2-day seminar the trainer will conduct a free 4-hour visit with each company separately. The main objective of the company visits is for the trainer to assist each company in effectively applying the knowledge gained from the seminar by prioritizing key areas and developing its strategy to improve smart tourism.

Free accommodation (double room) with breakfast included; and lunches during the seminar are offered to each participant (there is no charge for the second person sharing the room).

The seminar as Vital Importance is 100% funded by the HRDA.