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Tequila , Jalisco, received certification by the State Mercantile Society for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies (SEGITTUR), from the Ministry of Tourism of Spain, as the first Smart Tourist Destination (DTI) in Mexico and Latin America.

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To receive this certification, it was necessary to consider five pillars of tourism management in Tequila, Pueblo Mágico de Jalisco , which are the following:

• Innovation
• Technology
• Sustainability
• Accessibility
• Governance

Like all achievements, it is a goal achieved only from the sum of various wills, which since 2016 have been articulated to harmonize management and implement best practices as a tourist destination that endorses the aforementioned pillars.

The alliance between the public and private sector, academia, NGOs, foundations and local leaders, includes the following organizations and companies:

• JB Group
• Raven World
• Council for the Integral Development of Tequila (CODIT)
• Tequila Route
• Tequila Town Hall
• Jalisco Tourism Secretariat (Secturjal)

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What does this Smart Tourist Destination (DTI) certification mean?

DTI is understood as the tourist destination that meets the following characteristics:

• it is innovative: it is consolidated on a cutting-edge technological infrastructure
• guarantees the sustainable development of the tourist territory
• promotes accessibility for all
• facilitates visitor interaction and integration with the environment
• increases the quality of your experience at the destination
• improves the quality of life of residents

Federico de Arteaga, responsible for the implementation of the DTI project in Tequila, explained some of the benefits of the five pillars that comprise this methodology, pioneering in the world:

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Technology

• In the technological pillar, Tequila today offers residents and tourists the free Wi-Fi service in the Historic Center, to which more than 300 thousand people are connected a year, he said.
• It has an App, along with the Tequila Route, which contains information on all the shops, tourist products and services of the town, so that visitors know the options of hotels, businesses and activities. In the end, this application allows SMEs, medium and large companies to receive the economic benefit.
• They have a Big Data data system, in real time, that generates information on traffic, peak hours, flow of people and commercial activities, for making strategic decisions.

Accessibility

• They built ramps
• Tourism products improved inside and outside hotels
• They offer sign language
• Generate Braille translations

Governance

It works in a comprehensive and coordinated manner with state and municipal authorities, businessmen, universities, among other actors, through the civil association CODIT, for decision-making, and management of support and agreements for pilot projects.

Innovation

Regarding innovation, he reported that both the offer and the processes of tourism products that show the authenticity, traditions and the productive chain of tequila are in constant improvement.

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Sustainability

• They have taken advantage of alternative energies such as solar energy
• Individuals and companies have installed solar panels
• Some tourist activities seek to reduce the carbon footprint

As of the certification, Tequila is now part of the Smart Tourist Destinations Network (DTI Network), which comprises 80 Spanish destinations.

Thanks to the DTI model, where 80 percent of the shares are non-technological and 20 are technological, it has been possible to intelligently manage the growth of Tequila, which from having 20 thousand inhabitants and 18 thousand tourists a year in 2013, it passed 50 thousand residents and 500 thousand visitors in 2019.