By José Luis Córdoba – Managing Director Andalucía Lab & ToT Lab Project Manager
The previous posts outlined the orientation and goals of the future European Competence Centre, D3HUB — a project that aspires to become the reference point for helping European destinations succeed through data-driven decisions.
The strong and experienced partnership behind this endeavor, along with an understanding of the framework within which this entity will operate, a collaborative and open approach to incorporating new ideas during the creation process, and the aim of being a catalyst for existing initiatives, promise a successful outcome.
However, despite these strong foundations, the potential of this initiative should not overshadow the significant challenges it faces when approached from the bottom up.
The travel industry comprises thousands of destinations and hundreds of thousands of SMEs, whose primary focus is often not on data analysis or data-driven decisions. This is not a criticism but a reflection of reality: the smaller players in the travel industry are working hard and suffering from a chronic lack of time, making it difficult for them to embrace data and technology. However, doing so could ultimately lead to a better future position.
It is crucial to remember that people, not technology, are at the core of adaptation. Promoting a community of diverse, innovative, collaborative, and sustainable tourism professionals is essential to reach the goals of the future Competence Centre.
There are no magic solutions, but creating a meaningful project where people feel recognized and believe that their work can make a real difference is certainly a good start.
Nothing worthwhile is created spontaneously or without patience. However, there are some indispensable ingredients: credibility, usefulness, and effective storytelling.
Behind D3HUB is a strong partnership with the knowledge and experience to propose viable ideas about the future business model, services, structure, etc. However, we need the involvement of stakeholders like you. If you are interested in being part of this exciting project, register as a stakeholder and participate in shaping the EU Competence Centre. You can do it here.