Tourism, architecture, culture and design will come together on 6 October at the Reina Sofía Museum to explore how to create experiences that set destinations, hotels and cultural spaces apart.
Design is no longer limited to defining the aesthetics of a hotel, a museum or a tourist attraction. It plays an increasingly significant role in shaping a destination’s identity, creating memorable experiences for travellers and transforming the relationship between tourism, culture and the local area.
This evolution will be the focus of the first edition of the Tourism & Design Summit, to be held on 6 October at the Reina Sofía National Art Centre Museum in Madrid. The event will bring together professionals from fields that have not always shared the same forums for discussion: tourism, the hotel industry, architecture, interior design, culture, destination management, technology and academia.
The event is organised by SIE, Spain is Excellence, Design Institute of Spain (D! OS) and 110 PERCEB Ltd., with the Community of Madrid as the main sponsor and UDIT, the University of Design, Innovation and Technology, as the lead academic sponsor.
From a hotel that leaves a lasting impression to a museum that transforms a city
What makes a traveller remember a particular hotel? How can a museum help to transform its surrounding environment? How does design help to set a region apart from other destinations? And how should professionals prepare today to respond to new ways of travelling?
These are just some of the questions that the Tourism & Design Summit will address through a series of discussions centred on the tourist experience, architecture and heritage, training, the identity of destinations, and changes in the leisure, consumption and travel habits of the younger generations.
The aim is to bring together very different perspectives on a single challenge: how to ensure that spaces and destinations are not only attractive but also generate a sense of identity, evoke emotion and forge a bond with those who visit them.
To this end, the Summit will feature figures such as Carlos Garrido, president of the Spanish Tourism Board; Eduardo Prieto, managing director of Visa Spain; Enrique Sarasola, president of Room Mate Hotels; Álvaro Matías, director of the Madrid Design Festival; and interior designer Erico Navazo, alongside professionals and representatives from the Reina Sofía National Art Centre, the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, the Complutense University of Madrid, UDIT and other fields linked to tourism and design.
Madrid and its surrounding area will also be featured in the programme. The day will begin with “Walls that Speak: When Design Brings a Region to Life”, presented by Ana Alonso, CEO of SIE, Spain is Excellence, with the participation of Elena Rubio, Tourism Development Co-ordinator for the Sierra Norte de Madrid, who will discuss how art, design and regional identity can help to create new visitor experiences and strengthen the connection between a destination and its travellers.
“Today, design is much more than just an aesthetic issue: it is a tool for competitiveness in tourism. It helps us build destinations with a distinct identity, improve the traveller’s experience and generate value for the region. With this summit, we aim to bring together professionals from the tourism and design sectors who, until now, have not always had shared platforms for dialogue,” says Ana Alonso, CEO of SIE, Spain is Excellence.
The full programme and list of speakers can be found at tourismanddesign.com.
About the TOURISM & DESIGN SUMMIT
The Tourism & Design Summit was created as a meeting point between tourism and design to connect professionals, companies and institutions from both sectors and to foster new forms of collaboration in areas such as hospitality, destination management, urban planning, culture, architecture and experience creation.
It is organised by SIE, Spain is Excellence, the Design Institute of Spain (D!OS) and 110 PERCEB Ltd.
Source: SIE, SPAIN IS EXCELLENCE