Abstract
This dissertation aims to investigate the role of tourism systems in the development and management of smart territories. To this end, it first examines the literature to uncover the current relationship between smart development and tourism, which appears to be extremely distant with a propensity towards disciplinary silo research. This reveals a paradoxical situation: while tourism has a significant positive and negative impact on territories, its negative externalities are often not comprehensively considered in smart development strategies. Accordingly, this dissertation investigates the barriers hindering this integration and their criticality. It then explores how one of these barriers, the lack of tourism data, is overcome and provides a systemic perspective on the sustainability outcomes of this integration. Finally, this dissertation proposes a new model for managing and developing smart territories that aims to surpass current smart development models, as these have shown to be permeated by a silo mentality that threatens the effectiveness of smart development strategies.