As World Tourism Day approaches, representatives from the tourism, innovation and business sectors, as well as investors and opinion leaders from Lithuania and abroad, will meet in Vilnius to discuss how technology is transforming tourism and what new opportunities it opens up for Lithuania. In addition, they will select the best solution developed by a start-up that has the potential to raise the profile of Lithuania as a tourist destination.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cTechnology and artificial intelligence are rapidly transforming the tourism sector. It is important for Lithuania not only to keep pace with these trends, but also to create the conditions for innovations to be developed, tested and adapted here. To this end, we will bring together representatives from the tourism, technology and investment sectors in one place to share their experience and seek new solutions to strengthen the competitiveness of Lithuanian tourism,\u201d says Guoda Burokien\u0117, Deputy Minister for the Economy and Innovation.<\/p>\n\n
The forum will be attended by high-level experts in tourism, innovation, urban development, technology and start-up ecosystems from Portugal, the Netherlands, Finland and Spain, who are shaping the future of modern tourism in Europe and around the world. The experts will discuss sustainable tourism development, smart city solutions, the future of travel technology and opportunities for collaboration between start-ups and the tourism sector.<\/p>\n\n
The international tourism forum, organised by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the European Commission\u2019s European Capitals of Tourism Secretariat, will explore how technology and artificial intelligence are transforming tourism. The theme of the forum is \u2018The Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence: Transforming Tourism\u2019.<\/p>\n\n
In addition, the finalists of the \u2018Discover Lithuania\u2019 international start-up challenge \u2013 held for the first time at the forum \u2013 will present solutions designed to boost the visibility and competitiveness of Lithuania as a tourist destination.<\/p>\n\n
Participants in the challenge, for which applications must be submitted by 3 September via the WTO website, will be assessed on the basis of four criteria: innovation and creativity, sustainability, benefits to local communities, and the applicability and international scope of the solutions.<\/p>\n\n
At the end of the event, the winner of the challenge will be announced, and they will be rewarded with a tour of Lithuania. All the finalists in the challenge will be presented with symbolic weather vanes.<\/p>\n\n
A key part of the forum will be a training session organised by Amadeus, one of the world\u2019s largest travel technology companies, which will explore the impact of artificial intelligence, technology and new business models on the travel sector, as well as the use of data for tourism purposes.<\/p>\n\n