OPTIMa—Optimization Platform for Tourism Intelligent Management
About the project
The OPTIMa project proposes the development of an integrated technological platform addressing challenges in tourism management for Madeira Island. The investigation responds to the need for technological solutions that enable sustainable tourism practices, optimize resource allocation, and enhance cultural heritage appreciation while mitigating the negative impacts of tourist congestion.
The project implements a comprehensive monitoring system utilizing sensors strategically positioned at key tourist destinations. These operate on solar energy and connect through Long Range (LoRa) networks, allowing sustainable data acquisition and transmission. The monitoring infrastructure processes spatial information through edge computing nodes, preserving visitor anonymity while providing precise density measurements.
Core Innovations
A central innovation of the OPTIMa platform is the implementation of a locally deployed Large Language Model (LLM). This approach represents a methodological advancement in tourism management systems by ensuring data sovereignty, minimizing external cloud service dependency, and enabling context-aware recommendations specific to Madeira’s unique geographical and cultural characteristics.
Additionally, the platform incorporates a dynamic pricing mechanism that modifies access costs based on real-time occupancy data and historical visitation patterns. This serves as an economic instrument for tourist flow redistribution, incentivizing visits to underutilized locations during periods of congestion elsewhere.
More information
- Reference
- 2025.02832.MAD (FCT)
- Period
- 2026/02–2029/02
- Source
- optima.biesalab.org
