| On 25 September 2026, ReTour partner Promimpresa took part in the UN World Tourism Day Conference 2026, hosted by the University of Palermo. Organised by the Department of Economics, Business and Statistics (SEAS) and the Master’s Degree in Tourism Systems and Hospitality Management, the morning session focused on AI and technology in tourism. The topic anticipated this year’s World Tourism Day on 27 September, which UN Tourism has dedicated to the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism“.
After opening remarks by Marcantonio Ruisi, Director of the SEAS Department, and course coordinators Giovanni Ruggieri and Gioacchino Fazio, and a presentation by Toti Piscopo of Logos Srl, a round table moderated by Giovanni Ruggieri brought together researchers and practitioners. Francisco Calderón of the University of Málaga discussed new technologies for 21st-century tourism. AI consultant Francesco Passantino presented twelve practical AI solutions for tourism businesses, organised in four steps that range from everyday use of AI chat tools to full integration into company systems, with cases such as replying to negative reviews and supporting seasonal staff. Giuseppina Lo Mascolo asked whether research on generative AI in hospitality is studying the technology or the process, and Valeria Micciché presented Julia, the virtual assistant used for destination governance in Rome.
Several messages from the day speak directly to ReTour’s work. AI adoption in tourism does not have to start with large investments: many useful applications are within reach of small businesses and can grow step by step. The Julia case showed that the quality of an AI tool’s answers depends on the quality of its sources, which makes reliable data a precondition rather than an afterthought. And speakers agreed that the real question is which processes a business wants to improve, not which tool to buy.
These insights feed into ReTour’s mission to help tourism SMEs across the Mediterranean become more resilient to crises, seasonality and climate change by adopting technologies such as AI, IoT and blockchain. As the project moves towards technology implementation plans and pilot actions with participating SMEs, Promimpresa will bring the lessons from Palermo into its work with the Sicilian tourism ecosystem. ReTour (Building Resilient SMEs in the Tourism Industry) is co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme. |
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