RECONFIGURING TOURISM SYSTEMS: DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE, TERRITORIAL GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

João Vidal Carvalho; António Abreu; Luís Filipe Sardinha; Áurea  Sousa; Maria José Gonçalves; Manuel Silva

doi:10.29073/e3.v12i4.1202

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Published: Jun 10, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.29073/e3.v12i4.1202

Keywords:

Smart tourism Digital transformation Territorial governance Sustainability Tourist experience Competitiveness Entrepreneurship Organizational innovation

João Vidal Carvalho

Polytechnic Institute of Porto

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9727-0557

António Abreu

Polytechnic Institute of Porto

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5958-9188

Luís Filipe Sardinha

University of Madeira

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0920-7599

Áurea Sousa

University of the Azores, Portugal

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3151-5237

Maria José Gonçalves

Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Portugal

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3318-9973

Manuel Silva

Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Portugal

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5966-4229

Abstract

Tourism is currently going through a particularly intense period of transformation, marked by the expansion of digital technologies, the growing centrality of data and the search for more sustainable, resilient and inclusive territorial development models. In this context, Volume 2 of the special edition of e³ – Journal of Economics, Businesses and Entrepreneurs in the CPLP (e³) brings together a set of studies that reflects the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of contemporary tourism systems, articulating perspectives on territorial governance, smart destinations, digital transformation, tourism experience, competitiveness, entrepreneurship and organizational change. The included contributions show the consolidation of data-driven approaches, integrating smart technologies, recommendation systems, digital platforms, immersive experiences and sustainable territorial management mechanisms. In parallel, they reinforce the importance of the human, social and organisational dimensions of tourism, particularly through discussions around female entrepreneurship, labour participation, organisational agility and business resilience in contexts of continuous change. The integrated reading of these works allows us to understand tourism not only as an economic activity or experiential phenomenon, but as a deeply interdependent territorial, technological and social system, where innovation, sustainability and digital intelligence influence each other. The volume thus seeks to contribute to the deepening of the scientific debate around the challenges that mark contemporary tourism, offering relevant perspectives

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How to Cite

Vidal Carvalho, J., Abreu, A., Sardinha, L. F., Sousa, Áurea ., Gonçalves, M. J., & Silva, M. (2026). RECONFIGURING TOURISM SYSTEMS: DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE, TERRITORIAL GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION. E3 — Revista De Economia, Empresas E Empreendedores Na CPLP, 12(4), 01–09. https://doi.org/10.29073/e3.v12i4.1202

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 4 (2026): V.12 (2026) – Special Issue, Part. 2: Smart Tourism, Digital Transformation and Sustainability

Section

Editorial

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Author Biographies

João Vidal Carvalho, Polytechnic Institute of Porto

Post-Doctorate in Information Technologies and Systems from the University of Coimbra. PhD in Information Systems and Technology from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Master's in Information Technology Management from the University of Minho and Degree in Computer Science/Applied Mathematics from the University of Portucalense. Adjunct Professor at the Porto School of Accounting and Management/Polytechnic of Porto (Portugal). He was (between 2020 and 2022) Vice-Director of the Research Centre for Organisational and Social Studies of the Polytechnic of Porto (CEOS.PP). Effective member of the Competence Recognition/Certification Commission of ISCAP/Politécnico do Porto. Vice-president of IADITI - International Association for Digital Transformation and Technological Innovation. President of the International Conference on Tourism, Technologies and Systems (ICOTTS) and President of the International Conference on Information Technologies and Education (ICITED). Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Information Systems Engineering & Management and Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Information and Communication Technologies. He has published books on computer science and database management and is the author of fifteen publications in scientific journals with a JCR impact factor (Q1/Q2).

António Abreu, Polytechnic Institute of Porto

Post-Doctorate in Information Technologies and Systems, University of Coimbra, Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra. PhD in Software Engineering Based on Reusable Components with Human-Machine Interface applications, from the University of Vigo. Master's degree in Management Informatics from the University of Minho and a degree in Applied Maths and Computer Science from the Lusíada University. Coordinating Professor at the Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto, Politécnico do Porto. Researcher at the CEOS.PP Research Centre - Centre for Organisational and Social Studies of the Polytechnic of Porto. Between 2015 and 2018, he was coordinator of the Higher Professional Technical Courses (CTeSP) at the Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP) and coordinator for Market Development at ISCAP's Training and External Services Centre. Member of the Board of the Master's Programme in Digital Communication. Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management (JISEM). Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Information and Communication Technologies (RTIC). President of IADITI - International Association for Digital Transformation and Technological Innovation. General Chair of ICOTTS - International Conference on Tourism, Technology & Systems and ICITED - International Conference in Information Technology & Education. Author of several articles and chapters/books indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, some of which have a JCR impact factor (Q1/Q2), published in the field of Information Systems.

Luís Filipe Sardinha, University of Madeira

PhD in Economics and Business Sciences (Management), from the University of Azores, 2023; Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Madeira, since 2022; Invited Assistant Professor at the Higher Institute of Administration and Languages (ISAL), 2023–2025; Assistant Professor at the Higher Institute of Administration and Languages (ISAL), 2019–2021; Trainer at the Higher Institute of Administration and Languages (ISAL), 2020–2025; Accounting Trainer at Conta Mais Certa, 2019–2023; Integrated Member of the OSEAN – Outermost Regions Sustainable Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, since 2023; Editor-in-Chief of the e3 – Economia, Empresas e Empreendedores na CPLP, since 2024; Adjunct Editor of the same journal, 2020–2023; Full member of the Order of Economists, since 2023; Bachelor's degree in Business Management, from the Higher Institute of Administration and Languages, 2019; Postgraduate degree in Healthcare Management and Social Institutions, from the Higher Institute of Administration and Languages, 2015; Bachelor's degree in Pathological, Cytological and Thanatological Anatomy, from the Lisbon School of Health Technology, 2008; Senior Technician in Pathological, Cytological and Thanatological Anatomy at the Autonomous Region of Madeira Health Service (SESARAM, E.P.E), since 2010.

Áurea Sousa, University of the Azores, Portugal

PhD in Mathematics, in the specialty of Probabilities and Statistics, from the University of Azores, 2006; Master in Statistics and Information Management, from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1997; and has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Azores, 1992. She has taught at the University of Azores since 1992; is a researcher at the Centre of Applied Economics Studies of the Atlantic (CEEAplA), since 2011; and a collaborating researcher of Outermost Regions Sustainable Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OSEAN), since 2022. Currently, she is a member of the Portuguese Statistics Society (SPE), the Portuguese Association for Data Classification and Analysis (CLAD), the Portuguese Association for Regional Development (APDR), the Regional Science Association International (RSAI) and the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Research Network. Editor-in-chief of e3-Revista de Economia, Empresas e Empreendedores at CPLP (Ponte Editora), since 2021.

Maria José Gonçalves, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Portugal

PhD in Software Engineering, with cum laude distinction. Coordinator Professor of Information Systems at the Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto (ISCAP/IPP). Integrated Researcher at the Center for Organizational and Social Studies of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. Her main areas of interest and research are Information Systems, Knowledge Management, Higher Education, Information Technology in Education and Emerging Technologies (Semantic Web and Ontologies, BlockChain and Big Data and Analytics). She collaborates with several Scientific Committees of indexed journals and National and International Conferences and Co-editor of several scientific publications.

Manuel Silva, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Portugal

PhD in Linguistics (Terminology). Senior Lecturer at Porto Accounting and Business School (ISCAP) in the field of Languages; Vice-dean for Research, Internationalization and Quality. He is a researcher at CEOS.PP - Centro de Estudos Organizacionais e Sociais do Instituto Politécnico do Porto (accredited by FCT), where he coordinates the Unidade de Estudos em Línguas, Comunicação e Educação; Represents ISCAP at CCRVA - Competence Centre for Virtual and Augmented Reality of P.Porto; President of Associação de Centros de Línguas do Ensino Superior em Portugal (ReCLes.pt); Researcher at INESC TEC, at CESE and Researcher at CLUNL. Member of Scientific Committees of indexed journals and of national and International Conferences; Co-Editor of several scientific publications and co-author of technical books. Member of IPQ - CT 127 - Formal, non-formal and informal learning and CT 221 - Terminology, language and languages.

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