Vila-seca, June 2011

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Founders

URV Vila-seca Town Council

Hotel and Catering Business Association of the Province

of Tarragona

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

PARK FOR TOURISM

AND LEISURE

Associate member of the Xpcat, the Network of Science and Technology Parks of Catalonia

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Background (I)

Launch of the Municipal Tourism Assistance Service financed by the Tarragona Tourism Board and administered by the Research Group on Territorial Analysis

and Tourism Studies (GRATET) at the URV.

1998

Over 10 years ago public and private institutions in Tarragona together with the Rovira i Virgili University launched a strategy for the creation of innovative platforms to develop and share tourism knowledge.

Creation of the Costa Daurada Tourism Studies Foundation (FETCD).

1999

Launch of the Costa Daurada Tourism Observatory, created by FETCD.

The URV's Strategic Research Plan targets the tourism sector as a university priority for further development.

2001

Creation of the URV's University School of Tourism and Leisure.

2002

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Background (II)

Proposal for the creation of a centre for cooperation between universities and businesses with the Hotel and Tourism Business Association of the Province of

Tarragona.

2003

Constitution of the Costa Daurada Science and Technology Park company (a limited company) to provide impetus for a technology centre for tourism and

leisure. Ministry of Education and Science approves financing for the company's

proposed centre.

2005

Implementation of the Vertical Policies Programme for tourism research advanced by the URV and the Tourism and Leisure PCT, with the participation of

URV research groups.

2007

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Background (III)

Tourism and leisure is one of the five strategic areas in which the Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia (CEICS), backed by the URV,

concentrates its efforts. This CEICS project qualifies as a Campus of International excellence in 2010 in the

regional category.

2009 and 2010

The Tourism and Leisure PCT facilities and the Vila-seca URV campus are officially inaugurated in June.

2010

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Mission

To become an international knowledge-economy hub for the sector and to create an ideal environment for R&D&i investment in

tourism and leisure.

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Principles

To promote sustainability and competitiveness amongst tourist destinations, businesses and resources

To ensure independence and excellence

To promote cooperation within the tourism and leisure sector (culture, commerce, events, sports)

To involve professionals in the sector in R&D&i

To focus programmes on long- and medium-term projects (74% strategic research and innovation + 25% tactical research)

To promote the creation of tourist information systems that are useful and efficient

To implement a technology programme to promote the development of content and management tools, to take advantage of social networks and mobile technologies, and to design experiences and manage transport systems.

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Services

TelephoneSciencecommunity Internet

Classroom

Equipment&furnishings

Meeting rooms

InnovationCLUSTER

Cooperation

“To promote the creation and growth of innovativebusinesses using incubation and spin-off mechanismsand to provide other value-added services as well ashigh-quality facilities and spaces.” InternationalAssociation of Science Parks (IASP)

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Development of programmes for innovation

Costa Daurada Tourism Studies Foundation

(FETCD)

Consortium for Increasing Competitiveness in Tourism and

Leisure in the Counties of Tarragona

-Obtaining competitive public financing for applied research (ERDF, Avanza, INTERREG, etc.)

-Knowledge transfer programmes

Costa Daurada Tourism Observatory

Tourism and Leisure PCT: R&D&I programmes (I)

Market intelligence: knowledge instruments for public and private entities

Market ProgrammeThink Tank ProgrammeEnotur Programme

Information systems: data for situation analysis and characterisation of demand on a scale of local destinations

Situational analysisCharacterisation of demand

Products: development of innovative initiatives

Knowledge transfer: added value for the sectorCompetitiveness plans Strategic plans In-company administrative and management training E-learning Product manuals

Tourism and Leisure PCT: R&D&I programmes (II)

Wine Country The Landscape of the Geniuses

Technology: technological applications for administration and tourist satisfaction

Platform programme E-business Programme Tracking Programme SIGTur Programme

Tourism and Leisure PCT: Facilities

Rovira i Virgili University (URV), together with the Vila-seca Town Council and the Hotel and Catering Business Association of the Province of Tarragona, have led the effort to build the Tourism and Leisure PCT with an investment of 2.8 million euros – financed through the public funding programme for science and technology park infrastructure (Convocatoria de Infraestructuras de ParquesCientíficos yTecnológicos) of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.

The URV later transferred the facilities to the development company of the Science and Technology Park for Tourism and Leisure.

Conclusion: Innovation as a strategy

Innovation services

Technology services

Competitive value based on knowledge

UNIVERSITY

BUSINESS

oResearchersoTeaching staffoSpecialised research groups

• Cooperation as a response to the needs of innovation

• Network integration as a system to improve governance of the tourist destination

• Generation and diffusion of knowledge globally

•Knowledge (research + innovation + development) as a component of tourism excellence at the destination

+34 977 394 871info@pct-turisme.cat

www.pct-turisme.cat

Feel free to contact us at:

Tourism and Leisure PCT

@PCT_Turismo