FITUR, organised by IFEMA MADRID, is to host the 10th edition of the AMT Smart Destinations Awards, a series of awards that recognise technological solutions and tools already in use which help tourist destinations and the businesses within their value chain to progress in their transformation towards smarter, more sustainable and more competitive models.
Organised by the Alliance of Sun and Beach Tourist Municipalities (AMT) and the Hotel Technology Institute (ITH), the tenth edition of these awards will be held as part of FITUR 2027, which is taking place from 20 to 24 January at IFEMA MADRID. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on 21 January 2027, from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm at the TechYdestino forum at FITUR TechY.
Deadline and submission of applications
The application period opened on 1 October and will remain open until 15 November 2026. Entries may be submitted via the official website of the AMT Smart Destinations Awards.
The call for proposals aims to identify technological solutions that have already been implemented and which help destinations and the organisations operating within them to tackle the challenges associated with their transformation into Smart Tourist Destinations. Furthermore, innovative projects developed by the destinations themselves and aligned with the areas covered by the awards will be recognised.
Five categories to drive innovation in destinations
Nominations may be submitted in five categories: Integrated Destination Management; Interaction with Tourists and Residents; Environmental Sustainability; Destination Promotion and Marketing; and Innovative Destination Projects.
The first four categories recognise tools and solutions applied to areas such as digitalisation and destination governance, accessibility, relations with tourists and residents, energy efficiency, the circular economy, and promotion and marketing strategies. For its part, the ‘Innovative Destination Project’ category aims to highlight initiatives developed by destinations that provide new solutions to the challenges of tourism management and are aligned with the pillars of the AMT Smart Destinations Awards.
Finalists and awards ceremony at FITUR 2027
Entries will be assessed by a panel comprising representatives from the Alliance of Sun and Beach Tourist Municipalities and professionals from the tourism and hospitality industries, from organisations such as FITUR, SEGITTUR, Thinktur, INVAT·TURand ITH.
The finalists for this tenth edition will be announced on 8 January 2027, and the awards ceremony will take place on 21 January at IFEMA MADRID, coinciding with FITUR TechY 2027. In addition, companies registered for the AMT Smart Destinations Awards will be able to apply for a free place – 100% subsidised – on mentorDay’s business acceleration programme.
At the 2026 edition, DEEPSENSE, Seeketing, IoTsens and Destinno were recognised in the categories of Integrated Destination Management, Interaction with Tourists and Citizens, Environmental Sustainability, and Destination Promotion and Marketing, respectively. In the ‘Innovative Destination Project’ category, the award went to the Network of Spanish Jewish Quarters (Caminos de Sefarad).
Further information and details on how to submit nominations can be found on the AMT Smart Destinations Awards website.
