Expansion of Technology Utilization Through Tourism 4.0 in Slovenia

Abstract

With more and more people traveling worldwide (the number doubling in the last 20 years), tourist destinations are now more than ever trying to maintain and enhance their competitiveness in the global market. In this regard, novel business models combined with state-of-the-art technology can play a crucial role in not only satisfying the increasing tourism demand but also ensuring a sustainable growth to avoid the deteriorating effects on both the social and natural habitat. For these reasons, the Slovenian government included tourism as one of the priority areas for investment. Hence, the Tourism 4.0 initiative was launched to unite tourism stakeholders with high-tech companies and unify their scattered ideas, experiences, knowledge, and expertise. The ambition is to position Slovenia as a top destination for sustainable tourism with high economic value. This chapter introduces the basic concepts behind Tourism 4.0 and how it relates to technologies for an enhanced tourism experience.