From climate pressures to uneven visitor flows, destinations face unique challenges—but share one powerful solution: data. After working with tourism organizations in South Africa, Seville, and Helsinki, The Data Appeal Company (part of Almawave Group) has identified a set of practices that help turn insights into meaningful action. These approaches are helping local leaders manage tourism more sustainably, foster alignment with communities, and plan confidently in today’s volatile global landscape.
The reflections shared here are drawn from direct input by destination experts during Data Appeal’s exclusive webinar series, where they presented their experience managing complex tourism ecosystems through a data-first lens.
1. South Africa: Seeing the whole picture, acting with precision
Tourism in South Africa is as vast and diverse as the country itself—yet this richness has traditionally made it difficult to ensure balanced development. Working with Data Appeal, South African Tourism developed a comprehensive, data-led system that integrates more than 100,000 tourism-related locations nationwide.
With sentiment analysis, visitor flows, reviews, and event forecasting combined in one platform, the team can now identify underserved areas, address overtourism hotspots, and enhance the overall visitor experience.
A key innovation is the use of event intelligence to support MICE tourism. During the webinar, a South Africa representative explained: “With the help of events’ data, we can forecast attendance and potential impact before an event takes place, which helps us better prepare and justify investments.” This kind of foresight is supporting smarter budgeting, destination promotion, and infrastructure planning at a national scale.
During the webinar, organised in partnership with Destination Think—a globally recognised leader in destination management—CEO Rodney Payne further underlined the value of data-driven decisions: “Tourism faces significant economic, climate, and social challenges, but it also holds a unique power to be part of the solution. With access to real-time data, DMOs can provide the pathway to a sustainable future.”
2. Seville: Making the city smarter—one insight at a time
In Seville, a real-time dashboard helps decision-makers respond faster to challenges—especially those related to climate. During periods of extreme heat, tourism managers detected a drop in visitor sentiment, which triggered swift action: improved communication, alternative shaded routes, and collaboration with local businesses to maintain service levels and comfort.
These tools also support city-wide coordination. Cultural event performance, business reviews, and visitor mobility data are all monitored in a single platform, informing decisions across departments—from marketing to urban planning. “The tool gives us a shared language,” said a Seville tourism official during the session. “We’re no longer working in silos, and that has transformed how we respond to issues and plan our 2025 strategy.”
The result is a more integrated city strategy that supports tourism growth while maintaining liveability and preserving local identity. As part of this approach, the city is prioritizing both resident and visitor wellbeing by developing a shade map and gathering data to guide planning decisions. Sustainability is central to the destination’s long-term vision, with sensors installed in public buildings to monitor water and electricity usage, temperature, and visitor density—particularly during large-scale events.
3. Helsinki: Aligning tourism with local identity
Helsinki is widely recognized for its sustainable and community-first tourism vision. What sets the city apart is how it uses data to listen—not just to travelers, but to residents too. By tracking destination sentiment in real time, the city tailors its messaging and offerings to match what both locals and visitors value most. The focus is not on growing volume, but on attracting visitors who respect and align with Helsinki’s character and pace of life.
“We’ve moved away from assumptions. Now, our strategies are based on what the data tells us—and it tells us when something works or when something needs to change,” said one of Helsinki’s tourism representatives. Crucially, Helsinki also stands out for its stakeholder engagement. Tourism data is regularly shared with local businesses, cultural institutions, and policymakers—encouraging a collaborative approach to sustainable tourism development.
Top takeaways for destination leaders
Based on the experiences shared during the webinar series, Data Appeal highlights five core insights for DMOs:
Unify your data sources. Centralized dashboards reduce blind spots and enable different departments to work with the same evidence.
Listen in real time. Sentiment analysis helps identify friction points—such as overcrowding or service issues—early, enabling quick action.
Shift from volume to value. Track the quality of visitors and their economic impact—not just arrival numbers.
Empower local stakeholders. Transparency builds trust. Sharing data helps municipalities, operators, and residents act with purpose.
Design with community in mind. Use data not only to improve visitor satisfaction, but to support long-term wellbeing for residents.
As these case studies show, data doesn’t replace human decisions—it sharpens them. Destinations that invest in intelligence can anticipate problems, adapt with agility, and deliver better outcomes for both guests and locals.
“Whether managing tourism across a country or a single neighborhood, data is not about control—it’s about clarity,” said Mirko Lalli, CEO and founder of The Data Appeal Company. “Real-time insights allow destinations to act faster, collaborate better, and grow more sustainably.”
