Florence and the Florence Area: managing the destination in the age of the algorithmic traveler

In the past, the question was: How do we get visitors to the destination’s website?

Today, it’s like having the destination included in the response from the AI assistant that the visitor uses to plan their trip.

The City of Florence explains how it is developing this presence within a single integrated digital system: a portal that brings together—in a single database—information, events, and services from the 41 municipalities of the Metropolitan City; the “invisible infrastructure”—that is, the Wi-Fi network—which serves as the foundation for collecting anonymous data on thecity usage and to activate context-aware services; the integration of accessible routes as part of a sustainable destination open to all; and the optimization of content for AI agents and search engines.

The panel discusses with the City of Florence, Firenze Smart, and Kinoa what is needed for algorithms to fully capture the Florence Area: a dialogue among local governments, innovation experts, and tourism professionals to understand how to strengthen the digital presence of Florence and the Florence Area as a destination, where the real challenge is no longer simply being online, but being recognized, understood, and recommended by the algorithms that guide travelers’ choices.