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Both actions fall under number 11 of the PSTD (Tourism Sustainability Plan in Destination) financed with European funds
The Villajoyosa City Council continues to make steady progress in modernizing its tourism model and showcasing its rich heritage. To this end, it has launched two initiatives within the framework of point 11 of its Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan (PSTD): the virtualization of the town’s bastion and the redesign of its tourism website to make it more accessible.
Both actions are part of the PSTD’s overall strategy “La Vila Joiosa. Diversification of the offer and sustainable tourism management”, financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
The virtualization of the Baluarte is a technological project that transforms how residents and visitors interact with the town’s history. The Councilor for Tourism and Historical Heritage, Rosa Llorca, stated that “the main objective of this project is to break down the physical and temporal barriers of one of the town’s most important heritage sites. Through the use of advanced technological tools, 3D modeling, and virtual reality solutions, the structure and historical context of the Baluarte are faithfully recreated.”
This ensures universal accessibility, allowing people with reduced mobility or those thousands of kilometers away to explore the monument interactively and in great detail. Furthermore, the virtual experience “offers a new educational and entertainment dimension, ideal for both family tourism and the education sector.”
With this project, “we not only digitally protect our cultural heritage, but we also open the doors of our history to the whole world, regardless of their physical conditions or geographical location.”
Furthermore, the City Council is taking a decisive leap forward in its digital promotion with the redesign of its new smart and fully accessible tourism website. This strategic initiative aims to consolidate a cutting-edge digital platform that brings the municipality’s entire offering closer to residents and international markets.
The councillor explained that “through this new portal, strategic visibility will be given to all those tourism products that complement traditional sun and beach tourism, promoting cultural heritage, nature, active tourism and local gastronomy under the ‘La Vila Gastronómica’ brand. With this, we aim to accelerate the diversification of the offer and mitigate the seasonality of demand.”
One of the project’s top priorities is implementing rigorous universal accessibility and usability standards. The platform will be developed according to WCAG 2.1 Level AA and UNE-EN 301549:2022 standards, incorporating advanced accessibility tools, optimized keyboard navigation, and a fully responsive design that ensures loading times of less than 3 seconds on mobile devices.
In this way, we will ensure that all tourist information is fully accessible to everyone, eliminating any digital barriers for users with physical or sensory disabilities. “With this development, we are not only updating our presence to the world, but also guaranteeing real and effective inclusion in accessing information about our municipality. The new website is designed as a democratic, intelligent, and multilingual environment adapted to the needs of the hyper-connected traveler, making it easy for anyone to learn about our history, gastronomy, and beaches without exclusion,” Llorca stated.
Furthermore, in strict alignment with the European guidelines of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the project has an immaterial and digital character that scrupulously complies with the principle of not causing significant harm to the environment (DNSH), avoiding the generation of physical waste or negative impacts on the natural environment.
The virtualization of the Baluarte and the accessible tourist website are part of a package of tourism digitization measures that the City Council is deploying throughout this year, along with the implementation of a virtual tourist viewpoint and the execution of smart online promotion campaigns.
With all this, Villajoyosa is consolidating itself as a Smart Tourist Destination (STD), aligning the preservation of historical and maritime heritage with the demands of the 21st century tourist.
