IoT-driven smart solutions: transforming urban tourism destinations

Purpose This research explores how IoT contributes to the smart management of Tehran as an emerging urban tourism destination. It examines IoT’s potential to enhance smartification efforts, supporting DMOs and SMTEs in achieving integrated destination management and sustainable economic outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a future-oriented mixed-method research design, using cross-impact analysis (CIA) and cross-impact balance (CIB) to identify plausible IoT implementation scenarios for transforming Tehran into a smart urban tourism destination. These methodologies assess potential future developments and IoT integration strategies in tourism. Findings The analysis identifies four potential scenarios, with the first emerging as the most plausible. This scenario highlights multi-sided business models, transformative innovation, a smart technological ecosystem, blockchain mechanisms, an instrumented supply chain, agile software development and an intra-organizational participative model. Together, these elements enhance the perceived usefulness of IoT, driving smart urban tourism management and sustainable development in Tehran. Practical implications This study provides actionable insights for policymakers, planners and stakeholders to enhance urban tourism through IoT. For cities like Tehran, adopting the proposed nine-strategy scenario can improve smartness, sustainability and competitiveness. Collaboration among DMOs, SMTEs and local governments is essential for developing IoT infrastructure, optimizing energy, enhancing marketing and integrating blockchain, ultimately improving operations and tourist experiences. Originality/value This study provides a unique contribution by combining future-oriented techniques to evaluate IoT’s role in the smartification of urban tourism destinations. It offers a strategic vision for integrating advanced technologies, which can significantly improve Tehran’s urban development, competitiveness and sustainability as a smart tourism destination.