Coimbra
COIMBRA ST LLM - COIMBRA Sustainable Tourism Large Language Models
The COIMBRA Sustainable Tourism LLM project leverages AI and data integration to revolutionise sustainable tourism in Coimbra. It features an innovative web portal using Large Language Models to provide personalised itineraries, a Labor Observatory for green and digital upskilling in tourism, and an international certification model to enhance sustainability in heritage destinations. Two pilot initiatives focus on sustainable mobility and improving waste management practices. The aim is to increase tourists' average stay by 20%, train over 2000 professionals, and establish Coimbra as a leading sustainable tourism destination, benefiting local people, businesses and visitors alike.
Our main challenges...
Short average tourist stays: despite its rich offerings, Coimbra struggles to retain visitors. Average stay length is just 1.5 nights, compared to 2.1 nights in Porto, 2.4 nights in Lisbon, and 2.6 nights for Portugal as a whole, in 2023.
Workforce skill gaps in the tourism sector: there is an urgent need to upskill and reskill workers to meet the demands of sustainable and digital transitions in tourism.
Lack of comprehensive sustainability frameworks: existing tourism practices lack integration with sustainable mobility, waste management and certification systems.
and proposed solutions
Large Language Model-based web portal: an AI-driven platform providing personalised itineraries and detailed information on over 300 touristic products. It assists tourists before, during and after their visits, encouraging enhanced – and longer – stays.
Labour Observatory for tourism: a data-driven tool for identifying skill gaps and delivering green and digital training programs. It supports upskilling and reskilling for the tourism workforce, including unemployed individuals and migrants.
International Certification Model: development and testing of a sustainable tourism certification framework, promoting eco-friendly practices and enhancing the sector’s credibility.
Key figures
Milestones
Creation and validation of a sustainable tourism certification framework
Testing innovative sustainable mobility and waste management solutions in the UNESCO site
AI-powered platform integrating data for decision-making and tourist experience enhancement
Creation of an observatory to identify skills gaps and support workforce training
Delivery of training to 2000+ workforce participants
Modern facilities with immersive, AI-driven tourism experiences
