At the UNWTO Global Urban Tourism Summit held in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, representatives from more than 80 countries adopted the Nur Sultan Declaration on Smart Cities, Smart Destinations. The Declaration conforms to the objectives set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the United Nations New Urban Agenda and underscores the contribution of smart cities and tourism to socio-economic development, employment, and technological innovation. The Declaration highlights that emerging technologies, namely, Big Data, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual and augmented reality can help 'reduce the potential negative impact of tourism on the natural, social and cultural assets by optimising existing resources'.

The 8th edition of the Summit was based on five pillars of smart destinations including innovation, technology, accessibility, sustainability and governance.