PARIS, 01 Feb. - (ABA) - As the tourism sector reinvents itself in response to global challenges, there is growing recognition that if driven by data, innovation and collaboration, rather than inertia, fragmentation and short-termism, tourism can strengthen communities, build more resilient economies and support healthier ecosystems. Sergio Guerreiro from Turismo de Portugal points to this new approach to tourism policy.

 

Tourism holds extraordinary potential as a catalyst for positive change. As the sector reinvents itself in response to global challenges, there is growing recognition that if driven by data, innovation and collaboration, rather than inertia, fragmentation and short-termism, tourism can strengthen communities, build more resilient economies and support healthier ecosystems. But tourism’s future, and its capacity to bring inclusive prosperity, rests on the ability to measure what matters, anticipate what is coming and act with purpose.

 

A new series of reports from the OECD Tourism Committee – undertaken with the support of the European Commission’s DG Reform – points to this new approach to tourism policy. One where success is judged not only in economic terms, but also the impact on people and places.

 

 

 

 

One of these reports developed a tailored core set of sustainable tourism indicators for use at the regional and local level. The use of such indicators allows policy makers to measure and monitor tourism impacts, putting actionable evidence in the hands of practitioners to enable better decisions, quicker course corrections and strategies aligned with community wellbeing.

 

The work also supports Portugal’s new national network of sustainability observatories, known as Destination Watch, and developed in partnership with regional tourism DMO’s and academia. Observatories will provide destination managers with tools to decide, adapt and act. Beyond counting arrivals, the network aims to track issues such as emissions, pressure on local resources, resident sentiment and tourism’s real contribution to wellbeing.

 

This is not just about data collection. It’s about equipping regions and destinations with tools to rethink tourism’s role, redistribute flows, and design strategies that align tourism growth with quality of life.

 

 

 

 

Another key contribution has been the development of a new framework to assess tourism competitiveness at national and subnational levels. Portugal has taken this work further by testing and applying the framework to its own regions, combining traditional economic metrics with new dimensions such as resilience, innovation capacity, and destination stewardship.

 

This work reveals that tourism competitiveness is not simply about more visitors or higher revenues. It’s also about value creation, digital readiness, workforce capabilities, and the ability of tourism to improve the wellbeing of local communities. In doing so it empowers regions to define their own future, supported by actionable insights, enabling more targeted investment strategies, more effective policy design, and a shift towards proactive governance.

 

 

 

 

Given tourism’s vulnerability to geopolitical, climatic, economic and technological shocks, foresight is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

 

Yet most tools and analysis rely solely on historical data. That is why Portugal, again building on OECD guidance, is developing a national tourism demand forecasting model. This model, still in its testing phase, combines official statistics with alternative data sources and scenario modelling, to provide forward-looking insights to guide policy decisions and private sector investments. It will enable the sector to prepare for plausible futures, test policy assumptions, and manage uncertainty.

 

The transition from static planning to dynamic anticipation could redefine how countries allocate resources, build infrastructure, and prepare their tourism workforce.

 

 

 

 

These initiatives reflect a belief that better policies start with better questions and the right data to answer them. And new digital tools are making that possible

 

Portugal is actively investing in this direction, through platforms like TravelBI and through a broader national approach for innovation in tourism. The goal is not tech for tech’s sake, but smarter, faster, and more inclusive decision-making.

 

This transformation requires new skills, and strong cooperation between the public and private sectors. Tourism policy is a shared responsibility across levels of government, with businesses and communities all playing a role.

 

 

 

 

All paths point to a single ambition. Make tourism work for people. Not just tourists, but residents, workers, and future generations.

 

Evidence-based tourism policy is not an end – it’s a means to improve quality of life, build resilient communities, and ensure tourism is a force for good. We must reimagine what tourism policy can be: bold, informed, accountable, and transformative.

 

Portugal is proud to contribute to this collective journey. And if there is one lesson from this experience, it is this: we can’t manage what we don’t understand. But once we do, we have a duty to act.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/01 February 2026 - - -