Technological progress stands as the main driver of the tourism sector, and its gains should be harnessed to strengthen a pivotal activity in the Balearic economy.
Among the advances, Artificial Intelligence sits at the core of conversations as a potential game changer. Yet it remains a topic of robust debate about the reliability, legality, and ethics of the information it provides. Big Data, Cloud Computing, and automation are essential to tourism growth, with the Balearic Islands and Mallorca playing a central role in both adopting and exporting these advances worldwide.
These were the key findings of the Futuribles Mallorca Turismo Plus Forum, held last Thursday at the Diario de Mallorca club, with input from leading experts in the field.
The analysis and reflection session was sponsored by Telefónica, CaixaBank and the Consell de Mallorca’s Fundació Mallorca Turisme, in collaboration with FEHM, HO Group, MicroStrategy and Fundació Impulsa Balears.
Island Tourism Manager attended the session, including Carla del Moral; Antoni Riera, technical director of Fundación Impulsa; Jaume Monserrat, president of the Turistec International cluster; Joan Barceló, CIO of W2M (Iberostar Group); Maria Frontera, president of Mallorca Hotels Federation (FEHM); Pilar Ferrer, director of Major Companies for Telefónica East Region; and Xavier Bonany, MicroStrategy Account Director.
Director of Diario de Mallorca, Marisa Goni, opened the event, introduced by tourism communications consultant Pepa Olmedo. Reflecting on changes driven by artificial intelligence, robotics, digitalization and big data, Goñi warned that the tourism sector is among the first to face these shifts. He noted that travellers will discover us through artificial intelligence, echoing ideas about personalized journeys shaped by AI.
Subsequently, Antoni Riera, technical director of Fundación Impulsa, presented on the critical role of innovation in a talk titled The opportunity to replace T with t. He argued that measuring tourism success solely by visitor numbers or spending is no longer sufficient.
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The technical director of Fundació Impulsa Balears cautioned that this moment of change demands new measurements and fresh indicators.
He urged decision-making in tourism to be guided by technology, because the economy can keep growing despite negative externalities and finite resources.
In the new context, Impulsa’s technical director called for setting aside inertia and embracing solutions that address tourism’s negative impacts.
The day featured a roundtable moderated by Olmedo, with Jaume Monserrat, president of the Turistec cluster; Xavier Bonany, MicroStrategy Account Director; Pilar Ferrer, Majors Manager for Telefónica East Region; Joan Barceló, CIO of World2Meet (W2M); and Maria Frontera, president of FEHM.
Monserrat noted that Turistec’s efforts focus on AI’s impact two years from now, adding that the rapid arrival of ChatGPT has accelerated this trajectory. Barceló highlighted the advantage of starting from a clean slate for a young project like W2M, a vertically integrated tourism firm within the Iberostar Group, aimed at serving new travelers and delivering technology that is meaningful and practical. He stressed that technology must meet the needs of travelers seeking flexible arrangements and unique experiences, and that a solid tech base is essential to make that possible.
Frontera from FEHM emphasized that the industry has embraced technology, acknowledging the lingering effects of the covid crisis and the opportunities created by European funding. She warned that public administration often lags, complicating investments, but noted that new AI-enabled capabilities could be leveraged within a modern framework.
Barceló acknowledged that artificial intelligence will trigger a major shift but that practical applications are still emerging. He pointed to debates about legality, privacy and ethics, and added that the ethical challenges should be translated into AI design and governance. The W2M leader also explained that within their group the AI unit mainly serves internal customers. Ferrer observed that ethical concerns are most acute with generative AI that has not yet learned everything. Monserrat added that technology will influence business models because it carries significant costs and that disruption will continue in the future.
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The event concluded with closing remarks from Carla del Moral, island director of Tourism for Offer and Quality, who highlighted the need to unite efforts and cited the Consell’s commitment to technology as a driver for modernization, describing technology as a transformative lever.
Attendees enjoyed cocktails at the Daily Club following the program, reflecting on Mallorca’s broader opportunities in tourism innovation.