Understanding tourism is no longer enough, today, we must feel it, measure it, and transform it intelligently. That’s the guiding principle behind Sergio Moreno Gil, lead researcher at Emotur Lab and one of Spain’s foremost experts in tourism innovation. His recent interview with the specialized platform Tragento once again highlights that emotion, sustainability, and digital transformation are the driving forces of 21st-century tourism. At a time when destinations compete not only to attract visitors but also to create positive impact, knowledge has become the most powerful engine of change.
What is Tragento?
The portal Tragento has become one of the most influential platforms dedicated to tourism and innovation, connecting researchers, institutions, and professionals who share analytical and forward-looking perspectives on today’s industry challenges. Through its articles, Tragento promotes rigorous yet accessible discussions on key themes such as digitalization, sustainability, and smart destination management, always emphasizing applied research and territorial development.
A journey into tourism knowledge
In his conversation with Tragento, Sergio Moreno Gil offers a compelling look at how research in tourism has become essential for decision-making in smart destinations. He explains how Emotur Lab, based in the Canary Islands, has earned international recognition for its pioneering work on emotional analysis and its application to marketing, planning, and sustainability strategies.
Throughout the interview, Moreno Gil explores the digital transformation of tourism and the challenge of balancing technological innovation with authenticity. He stresses that research must go beyond observing behavior — it should anticipate trends, connect data with emotions, and turn insights into more sustainable public policies and business models.
A core part of the discussion focuses on sustainable tourism, seen not only as environmental protection but as a broader social and economic responsibility. According to Moreno Gil, sustainability “should not be an option but the natural way of doing tourism.” This statement captures the philosophy behind Emotur Lab’s projects, where emotional analytics and data science become tools for designing tourism experiences that are more human, intelligent, and responsible.
Another key message he shares is the importance of collaboration among academia, businesses, and public institutions. Drawing from his international experience, Moreno Gil insists that tourism research should not remain confined to offices — it must happen on the ground, alongside the destinations striving to reinvent themselves in an ever-changing global market.
For readers who want to explore this in-depth and thought-provoking conversation about the future of tourism in the Canary Islands and the role of science in its evolution, the full interview is available here: Interview with Sergio Moreno Gil on Tragento.
Research and emotion, the new paradigm of Smart Tourism
The work of Emotur Lab represents a leap forward in how we understand tourism — a field where emotion can be measured, analyzed, and integrated into strategic destination design. This approach, merging technology, sustainability, and applied research, positions the Canary Islands as a natural laboratory for innovation in meaningful, future-oriented tourism experiences.
Beyond the technical side, the interview with Sergio Moreno Gil delivers a powerful insight: the tourism of the future will be built on knowledge, collaboration, and empathy. It’s not just about digitalizing processes or adopting new tools — it’s about humanizing data, listening to travelers, and creating destinations that generate shared well-being.
This interview leaves us with a valuable reminder: tourism research is not an academic luxury but a strategic necessity for any destination seeking to be sustainable and competitive. Through Emotur Lab, Sergio Moreno Gil proves that tourism innovation can be emotional, ethical, and profitable at once.
In these fast-changing times, where smart destinations set the pace for global development, initiatives like Tragento and the leadership of dedicated researchers are positioning the Canary Islands at the heart of a new generation of tourism knowledge.
Ultimately, understanding the traveler means understanding ourselves — a journey back to what truly matters, where science and emotion move together toward a more human and sustainable tourism future.