Digital Twins in Tourism: Shaping the Future of Smart and Sustainable Destinations
- OUS Academy in Switzerland
- Jul 31
- 5 min read
Author: Mohammed Khan
Affiliation: Independent Researcher
Abstract
The concept of digital twins is rapidly entering the tourism sector, offering new possibilities for smarter, more sustainable, and better-managed destinations. As tourism organizations adapt to modern technologies, digital twin systems—virtual replicas of real-world assets—are becoming valuable tools for managing cultural heritage, optimizing visitor experiences, and improving operational efficiency. This article reviews the current applications of digital twins in tourism, evaluates recent scholarly developments, and discusses their strategic relevance. Emphasis is placed on how digital twins are transforming tourism planning and management, particularly in the context of sustainability and stakeholder integration.
1. Introduction
Tourism is undergoing a profound transformation. With the rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), and big data analytics, destination managers and policymakers are rethinking traditional approaches. Among these emerging innovations, digital twins have gained special attention in recent months as a tool for smart tourism development.
Originally developed for manufacturing and aerospace industries, digital twins refer to dynamic, virtual models that mirror real-world systems. In the tourism context, a digital twin could represent a historical monument, a city center, or even an entire destination. These models can simulate and monitor real-time conditions, predict visitor behavior, and support decision-making.
The adoption of digital twins in tourism has become more prominent in early 2025, following a wave of academic studies and strategic discussions in international tourism forums. Institutions, local governments, and tourism operators are now exploring how digital twin technologies can contribute to smarter, more responsive, and more sustainable destination management.
2. The Academic Landscape: What the Research Shows
A comprehensive review of recent scholarly work on digital twins in tourism reveals an emerging field that is gaining academic and practical traction. A systematic literature review conducted in early 2025 analyzed 34 peer-reviewed publications from the last five years. The findings show that the majority of digital twin applications focus on cultural heritage, with an emphasis on enhancing visitor interaction and protecting historical assets.
The review also highlights that many projects remain in the early stages of development. Most digital twins currently used in tourism are limited in scope, focusing on a single site or building rather than a full destination or urban area. Furthermore, many of these systems rely on unidirectional data flows, where physical data informs the digital model but lacks real-time synchronization or feedback loops.
Despite these limitations, the field is evolving quickly. Applied case studies are becoming more common, and several pilot projects have demonstrated measurable improvements in crowd control, visitor satisfaction, and cultural preservation.
3. Why This Is a Current Trend
Several factors explain why digital twins in tourism have become a trending topic this week and more broadly in 2025:
Technological Maturity: Advancements in 3D scanning, geospatial mapping, and IoT devices have made it easier and more cost-effective to build realistic, interactive digital replicas.
Smart Tourism Movement: The global shift toward smart cities and smart tourism initiatives has created demand for tools that integrate real-time data, improve planning, and enhance visitor experiences.
Sustainability Goals: In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), tourism authorities are under pressure to balance economic development with environmental protection. Digital twins allow more informed decision-making and better management of sensitive sites.
Post-Pandemic Innovation: The tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation. Destinations are increasingly investing in technologies that reduce operational risk and improve visitor safety.
Academic and Industry Collaboration: A growing number of universities and private firms are collaborating to develop scalable digital twin platforms tailored to tourism needs. This is reflected in the rising number of funded research projects and conferences dedicated to the topic.
4. Applications and Benefits in Tourism
a) Destination Management and Planning
Digital twins provide a centralized platform for managing visitor flow, infrastructure, and environmental impacts. Managers can use these models to anticipate congestion, optimize transportation, and plan events with minimal disruption.
b) Cultural Heritage Preservation
By creating detailed virtual models of historical buildings and artifacts, digital twins serve as both educational tools and preservation records. In the event of damage or degradation, digital models can guide restoration efforts with high accuracy.
c) Enhanced Visitor Experience
Tourists can engage with destinations in new ways through virtual guides, interactive mobile apps, and personalized itineraries. Digital twins make it possible to preview experiences, navigate more easily, and receive real-time updates.
d) Emergency Preparedness
In destinations prone to natural disasters or large-scale events, digital twins help authorities simulate various emergency scenarios and plan accordingly. This reduces risk for both tourists and local communities.
e) Sustainability Monitoring
Environmental data such as air quality, waste generation, and water usage can be integrated into the digital twin. This enables real-time monitoring of a destination’s sustainability performance and informs adaptive policies.
5. Key Challenges and Limitations
Despite its promise, the implementation of digital twins in tourism faces several obstacles:
Complexity and Cost: Building a functioning digital twin requires technical expertise, hardware, and ongoing data management. Smaller destinations may lack the necessary resources.
Data Privacy and Ethics: Collecting and processing visitor data raises privacy concerns. Clear guidelines and legal frameworks are essential to protect user information.
Lack of Interoperability: Many existing systems are not compatible with one another, making it difficult to build integrated, multi-site digital twins.
Governance Issues: Aligning stakeholders—public agencies, private operators, local communities—is often challenging. Successful implementation requires shared goals, responsibilities, and benefits.
Limited Theoretical Foundation: Much of the current work is applied and lacks a strong conceptual base. There is a need for more theoretical research on how digital twins influence tourism systems.
6. Stakeholder Perspectives
Recent studies have used models from game theory and stakeholder analysis to explore how different groups perceive the adoption of immersive technologies in tourism. These studies show that the willingness of stakeholders to support digital twins depends on their expectations of value, cost, and risk.
For instance, local authorities may prioritize crowd control and sustainability, while entrepreneurs focus on monetizing new experiences. Visitors, on the other hand, may be concerned about privacy or overwhelmed by complex technology.
To overcome these differences, collaborative governance frameworks are essential. Pilot programs that involve local stakeholders in the design and implementation phases are more likely to succeed and scale.
7. Future Directions for Research and Practice
Digital twins in tourism are still in the early stages of maturity, but the direction is clear. Future research should focus on:
Developing conceptual models that explain the role of digital twins in destination ecosystems
Scaling up from individual sites to city-wide or regional systems
Creating open-source platforms to reduce costs and enhance interoperability
Studying the social, environmental, and economic impacts of digital twins
Exploring how digital twins can support long-term sustainability strategies
For practitioners, the key is to start small but think big. Initial investments can focus on high-traffic sites or critical infrastructure, with expansion based on performance and community feedback.
8. Conclusion
Digital twins represent a significant opportunity for the tourism sector. As global travel resumes and technology advances, destinations have the chance to reinvent themselves through innovation. Digital twins can enhance visitor experiences, protect cultural heritage, improve operational efficiency, and support long-term sustainability goals.
However, this transformation will not happen automatically. It requires investment, collaboration, and vision. As more case studies emerge and best practices are shared, digital twins may soon become a standard feature of tourism planning and management around the world.
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References / Sources
Sampaio de Almeida, Duarte; Brito e Abreu, Fernando; Boavida-Portugal, Inês. Digital Twins in Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review.
Gretzel, Ulrike. Smart Tourism: Foundations and Developments.
Tripathy, A. K.; Tripathy, P. K.; Ray, N. K.; Mohanty, S. P. iTour: The Future of Smart Tourism.
Fazio, Gioacchino; Fricano, Stefano; Pirrone, Claudio. Game-Theoretic Models for Immersive Technology Adoption in Tourism.
Boes, Katja; Buhalis, Dimitrios; Inversini, Alessandro. Conceptualizing Smart Tourism Destination Dimensions.
Sigala, Marianna. Tourism and Technology: Transforming Visitor Experiences.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals – Journey to 2030.
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