The Concept of Smart Tourism in the Context of the Formation of Sustainable Innovative Ecosystems of Territories

This article explores the concept of smart tourism as a new approach to creating a sustainable and innovative tourism environment. The importance of this study lies in the need to develop a tourism sector based on digital technologies and sustainable management models that maintain a balance between economic growth, human development, and the preservation of natural resources. This article explores the foundations and key components of smart tourism and its role in transforming society. The research focuses specifically on the use of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, geographic information systems, and digital platforms, which contribute to connecting stakeholders within the tourism system and improving its management. Studies have shown that smart tourism contributes to creating a new and sustainable tourism environment by building digital infrastructure, improving the quality of tourism services, supporting innovation, and enhancing communication between government agencies, businesses, and local communities. It also discusses the main challenges faced in implementing the concept, such as digital inequality, cybersecurity issues, and the need to modernize control systems. Based on the analysis, it is concluded that smart tourism is an important tool for the development of the sector and contributes to improving its competitiveness in the transition to a digital economy. This study allowed us to summarize the main elements of the concept of "smart tourism", which works by integrating infrastructure, technology, social, and institutional components. The Smart Tourism Readiness Index (STRI) was developed and calibrated to assess the readiness of places to implement the concept of "smart tourism".