SEGITTUR, a division of Spain’s Ministry of Tourism dedicated to the management of innovation and tourism technologies, has designated the town of Tequila as the first Smart Tourist Destination (DTI) in Mexico and Latin America.
vAccording to the Jalisco Tourism Department, the recognition was achieved thanks to an alliance between the public and private sectors, academia, NGOs, foundations and local leaders, that has facilitated the development of cutting-edge technological infrastructure.
Among these achievements are the free wifi service in Tequila’s Historic Center, allowing 300,000 visitors to be connected year-round, plus an app that contains a wealth of information on all the shops, tourist products and services of the town. In addition, Tequila has created a data system that generates information on traffic, peak hours, flow of people and commercial activities, allowing authorities to make timely strategic decisions to the benefit of the community. Also taken into account by SEGITTUR were the accessibility improvements, such as the installations of ramps, signs and braille translations. Tequila has also taken advantage of alternative power sources such as solar energy, and developed tourist activities to reduce its carbon footprint.
According to the Jalisco Tourism Department, the number of visitors to the town of Tequila, which has a population of just over 31,000 (2020 census), jumped from 18,000 in 2013 to 300,000 in 2019.