Scaling Smart: How Digital Technology Is Shaping the Future of Tourism
On May 26 and 27, 2026, HES-SO Valais-Wallis will host the closing conference of the Innosuisse “Resilient Tourism” program, focusing on the digital drivers and challenges that will shape the future of the tourism sector. This two-day event will bring together researchers, businesses, and public sector stakeholders to explore the transformative role of data, digitalization, and artificial intelligence in the future of Swiss tourism.
Structuring Data for a More Resilient and Competitive Tourism Industry
This two-day closing event is a key opportunity to understand how data, digital innovation, and resilient systems are fundamentally reshaping the tourism sector.
The event will present the findings of a four-year applied research program supported by Innosuisse, which brought together six universities of applied sciences and more than 30 partners. The goal is to accelerate the “datafication” of Swiss tourism and foster the development of services, operations, and business models enhanced by digital technology.
The program will bring together representatives from academia, the private sector, and public institutions, with a clear focus on practical applications. The plenary sessions, led by international leaders in technology and travel, will offer strategic insights into the major shifts currently underway: personalization of experiences through AI, transformation of distribution models, structuring of data ecosystems, and the role of platforms in fostering more sustainable and resilient tourism.
Several presentations will explore these issues through topics such as:
- Data Governance and Digital Trust in Tourism with Connor Harrington Brandt (Booking.com)
- Decision Intelligence in Travel with Matias Undurraga (Amazon Web Services)
- Simulation and Resilience of Tourism Systems in the Face of Crises, with Flann Chambers, Jean-Christophe Loubier, and Roland Schegg (HES-SO Valais)
At the same time, the conference will highlight concrete results from applied research, particularly regarding the National Tourism Data Infrastructure (NaDIT), digital business models, and visitor flow analysis.
