THE TOURIST 3.0 OR ADPROSUMER: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR LAW AND ECONOMY

Abstract

The new technologies - the internet and the use of smartphones - have caused the passage of tourist 1.0, who book their trips through agencies, to the new digital tourist or 3.0 - also known as Adprosumer -. With its arrival there is a gradual digital transformation of tourism and, consequently, a new challenge - and even an opportunity - for Law and the Economy. However, tourist 3.0 moves in an online environment that must manifest two essential notes: trust and security.
When planning and managing a trip by smartphone, tourist 3.0 must face various risks and problems that may affect their protection as a consumer and tourist user (treatment of personal data, ignorance of rules on consumption and administrative nature, ignorance of complaint mechanisms, ways of acting before comments and inappropriate online assessments, absence of legal regulation of collaborative consumption, etc.). Such difficulties will be evidenced to promote a reflection - and desirable adaptation – of our laws before the arrival - and increase - of digital tourism; and, in a correlative way, generate a greater - and necessary - diffusion, education and information by public authorities, in protection of a "vulnerable tourist". Only in this way will confidence in the digital environment be improved and, consequently, E-Tourism will be encouraged. In addition, the tourist sector, with the arrival of tourist 3.0, will have to face four fundamental axes: Cloud, Mobile, Internet of Things and Social.