Alicante City Council has recently approved a project to install a smart monitoring system at Santa Bárbara Castle, a key tourist attraction. The system will employ sensors to assess visitor numbers and engagement across various areas of the castle. This initiative is financed by the Sustainable Tourism Plans for Destinations, with a total budget of one hundred forty nine thousand two hundred sixty-five euros shared equally between the council, the Generalitat, and the Ministry of Tourism.

The aim of this project is to generate insightful reports on visitor occupancy during specific periods and in distinct areas of the fortress. This data will benefit the Alicante City & Beach Tourism Authority by enabling a better understanding of visitor behaviour, common routes, and heat maps based on occupancy levels each day.

Tourism Councillor Ana Poquet highlighted that this project is a significant step in the ongoing modernisation of Santa Bárbara Castle. The information gathered will provide essential insights for the management of Alicante’s principal tourist site. The proposed system will not only monitor foot traffic but also help in creating main visitor routes and heat maps to improve guest experience.

The contract entails supplying and installing a comprehensive network of cameras, necessary hardware, installation, configuration, and testing services, along with analytical software to produce detailed reports on visitor behaviour. This endeavour aims to enhance operational efficiency and ultimately improve the quality of the visitor experience at the historic site.