Reimagining Travel: How GenAI is Transforming Urban Tourism through Aerotainment

The study envisions a future where generative AI transforms smart tourism cities into interconnected ecosystems, merging airports, attractions, and urban life into seamless, personalized travel experiences. It introduces “aerotainment” as a revolutionary concept uniting technology, sustainability, and human experience to redefine global tourism.

The study “Towards a New Generation of Smart Tourism Cities – GenAI-Enabled Aerotainment”, by researchers from the University of Malaga in Spain and the University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom, envisions how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming urban tourism. Written by Lázaro Florido-Benítez and J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak, the paper explores the next evolution of smart tourism cities, destinations that use AI, data, and automation to create dynamic, personalized experiences. At its heart lies a new concept called “aerotainment”, a model that fuses airports, theme parks, and urban attractions into one integrated system powered by intelligent technologies.

AI as the Catalyst for Smart Tourism

Artificial intelligence is portrayed as the driving force behind the reinvention of global tourism cities. With the rise of large language models like ChatGPT, travellers now rely on digital systems to plan and personalise their journeys. AI tools such as digital twins, chatbots, and predictive analytics can simulate real-time visitor behavior and deliver tailored recommendations at an unprecedented scale. Cities like Lausanne in Switzerland and Kelowna in Canada already employ AI-based urban planning to enhance sustainability and decision-making. Yet, the authors caution that despite its promise, AI raises challenges: reliable data sourcing, the ethics of replacing human service roles, and public trust in machine-driven systems remain critical concerns.

Aerotainment: Where Airports Meet Experience

Central to the paper is the idea of aerotainment, defined as “the interaction of airports with nearby theme parks and attractions to enhance the visitor experience and competitiveness of the tourism ecosystem.” It expands the traditional view of tourism beyond individual destinations, positioning airports as key gateways to connected urban networks. Figure 1 in the article vividly illustrates this system: visitors stand at the centre of a digital web linking airports, attractions, hotels, transport, and hospitality through AI-powered communication between businesses and consumers. Examples from Saudi Arabia and Spain show this concept in action. In 2024, Saudi Arabia began using AI platforms to enhance productivity in tourism management, while Malaga’s official tourism website now uses AI to create multimedia itineraries, geolocated attractions, and “phygital” (physical plus digital) experiences that merge real and virtual worlds.

The Urban Tourism Destination Pyramid

Building on aerotainment, the authors propose a framework called the Urban Tourism Destination Pyramid, which classifies cities by their technological sophistication and infrastructure. At the base lie cities with minimal connectivity and limited experiences. Mid-level destinations have growing digital capacity but weak integration between airlines, hotels, and online agencies. At the top sits the Smart Tourism City (STC), highly connected, efficient, and sustainable. The pinnacle represents STCs enhanced with Aerotainment and Artificial Intelligence, where real-time data personalises itineraries, optimises mobility, and prevents overcrowding. This pyramid reflects a strategic pathway: not all cities must become AI-driven immediately, but each can locate its position and evolve toward smarter, more sustainable tourism.

A prime example is Malaga, a European leader in smart tourism. Over the last 25 years, the city has transformed into a hub for innovation, attracting major corporations such as Google, Oracle, Vodafone, IBM, Deloitte, Amazon, and Huawei. It demonstrates how investment in AI and digital infrastructure can elevate both economic competitiveness and visitor satisfaction. Scholars also note AI’s potential to mitigate overtourism by forecasting visitor flows, though the authors stress that further research is needed to validate this. The framework, they argue, is not a prescription but an evolving model that invites experimentation and adaptation.

The Dawn of Democratic, Data-Driven Tourism

Florido-Benítez and Coca-Stefaniak forecast a new era where GenAI, neural networks, and quantum computing transform how cities anticipate and manage tourism behavior. Future systems will move beyond data optimization toward predictive and anticipatory design, allowing destinations to anticipate needs before they arise. This evolution will democratize travel, making personalised tourism experiences accessible to people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds rather than just affluent travellers. Smart cities will serve as testbeds for these innovations, turning AI and digital twins into both marketing tools and strategic assets.

Ultimately, the study envisions a harmonious fusion of technology, sustainability, and creativity. In this future, airports, attractions, and cities will operate as unified digital ecosystems, where data and human experience merge seamlessly. Through aerotainment, tourism evolves from a transactional activity into a connected, intelligent, and inclusive journey, one that redefines how people explore, interact, and experience the world.