INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF KEY CAPABILITIES TO DRIVE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN CUBA: THE ROLE OF TOURISM OBSERVATORIES
Keywords:
Sustainable Tourism, Tourism Observatories, Information Management, Capacity Building, CubaAbstract
Objective. Analyze the role of information management and capacity building, mediated by tourism observatories, in driving sustainable tourism in Cuba.
Design/Methodology/Approach. Descriptive study with a quantitative approach, involving a survey of 285 key stakeholders: government, businesses, local communities, and academia. Results/Discusion. Critical weaknesses were identified in information management, low intersectoral collaboration, and disconnection between communities and the tourism sector. Opportunities include strong public policy support and consensus on the potential of observatories, perceived as integrators of technology, training, and governance.
Conclusions. Cuba requires a network of tourism observatories to centralize data, foster local capacities, and coordinate stakeholders, complemented by digital platforms with big data analytics, practical training programs, and transparency and participation policies.
Originality/Value. This study provides empirical evidence on information management and capacity gaps in Cuba and the role of tourism observatories in addressing them. It also offers concrete policy guidelines prioritizing technology and social inclusion.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Félix Díaz-Pompa, Lianet Suárez-Cuba, Arle Cruz-Sintes, Miguel Angel Gozález-Infante, Olga Lidia Ortíz-Pérez
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