Smart islands: a “new” dimension of geographical isolation of El Hierro (Canary Islands)

Sustainability in tourism is now a fundamental requirement to allow the destinations concerned to compete in a sector that is becoming increasingly complex every day. Many references to this theme can be found in institutional documents at different territorial levels: a constant and joint commitment to sustainable, environmental, and socio-economic development is called for, capable of converting territories into “intelligent” spaces in the long term. The approach to sustainable territorial governance requires that the real component (public and private bodies, citizens, tourists, etc.) and the virtual component (ICT - Information and Communication Technologies) are cohesive to create a smart system. The work aims to highlight how the evolution and introduction of new technologies services for tourists (and not only) has allowed the island of El Hierro, in the Canary Islands, to change its image of "isolated" territory in a sustainable connected and accessible tourist destination.