Digitalization has a massive impact on tourism: In Smart Tourism, more and more data is available in real time through information and communication technologies (ICT), which not only transforms the behavior of travelers, but also results in changes for all players in the industry (hotel industry, destination management, tour operators, etc.). Smart tourism is often defined as a new tourism where a variety of data is collected and analyzed through advanced information technologies (such as IoT, NFC, beacons, virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence). Corresponding data sets can eventually be used by tourism stakeholders to improve the travel experience of tourists, maximize the competitiveness of destinations, and increase the efficiency of resource management (Gretzel 2015). Previous research has developed a variety of different definitions and models that map the key elements and actors.

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However, smart tourism research has so far lacked a fundamental conceptualization and, in particular, concretization of the term "smartness" of destinations. Due to the popularity of the buzzword "smart", the term smart tourism has so far always been used when there is a reference to technology. Furthermore, despite worldwide activities of Smart Tourism in urban destinations, little is known about the developments and activities as well as central actors in German and especially Bavarian cities.

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This is the starting point of the PhD project, which investigates the influence of the digital transformation on urban tourism and is particularly dedicated to a more detailed approach to the concept of "smartness" of urban destinations. The aim is to develop an evaluation standard with which the "smartness" of destinations can be assessed and thus to make a conceptual contribution to the young research field of smart tourism. In a second step, five Bavarian cities will be analyzed with regard to their smart tourism activities by means of a case study. In this course, on the one hand, the use of smart technologies in Bavarian city tourism is examined in more detail and, on the other hand, the perspectives of the heterogeneous actors promoting digitalization are shown. Finally, the Bavarian results are evaluated in an international comparison.

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• digitalization and digital transformation
• Smart Tourism and Smart City
• innovative mobility concepts with a focus on electric mobility