How Hotels on the Camino de Santiago are Turning Pilgrim Footfall into Direct Bookings with Seeketing The Camino de Santiago is not just a spiritual journey; it is a massive and dynamic tourism ecosystem. For hoteliers along the route, the challenge is no longer just "filling rooms," but understanding pilgrim flows, communicating with them at the right moment, and building loyalty without relying exclusively on OTAs. At Seeketing, as an active participant in the Camino de Santiago digitalization projects, we have applied our Phygital technology to transform hotel management along the route. Here is how this use case works. 1. The Challenge: The Invisibility of the "Passing" Pilgrim A hotel at a key stage (such as Sarria or Arzúa) sees thousands of pilgrims pass by its door, but only interacts with those who enter. The Problem: The hotelier doesn't know how many people actually pass by, where they come from (did they come from O Cebreiro or did they start in Sarria?), nor how long they stay in the area before checking in. The Data Reality: In our analyses at key points like the Pilgrim's Office or Monte do Gozo, we detect massive volumes (e.g., 41,152 Unique Visitors in a period) with very specific average stay times (e.g., 92 minutes). 2. The Seeketing Solution: Analytics + Interaction Without Apps Our solution is deployed in three phases to capture the pilgrim using Phygital technology (Physical + Digital): A. Flow Analytics (Knowing who passes by) We install our Seeketing Nodes (plug & play devices) on the hotel's façade or reception. These nodes anonymously detect the mobile phones of 85-90% of the people passing in front. What the hotel achieves: It not only counts people but understands the journey. Thanks to our network on the Camino, we can know if that device was previously detected in O Cebreiro (22,070 unique visitors detected) or Sarria (33,685 unique visitors detected). This allows for predicting occupancy peaks based on the flow from the previous stage. B. Proximity Interaction (The Digital "Hook") This is where Seeketing differs from traditional WiFi tracking. We don't wait for the customer to enter; we communicate with them when they are nearby. We use our Phygital Interaction technology to send direct messages (WhatsApp, SMS, or Push) to pilgrims detected in the vicinity. Real Use Case: A pilgrim arrives exhausted in the hotel area. Upon being detected, they receive a WhatsApp message: "Welcome to [Town Name]! You are 100 meters from Hotel X. Show this message for a 10% discount at our Foot Spa or a free isotonic drink when booking your room today." The Key: This is done without the need for the pilgrim to download any App, eliminating the usual entry barrier. C. Gamification (The Memorable Experience) To increase user registration (Opt-in) and legally obtain their data, we implement game dynamics. Example: "Find the Golden Shell". We place QR codes in the hotel and nearby zones. The pilgrim scans and participates in a raffle or "Quiz" about the Camino. Result: The hotel obtains the pilgrim's phone number and email, and the pilgrim gets an immediate reward (e.g., free breakfast). 3. Results: From Anonymous Pilgrim to Recurring Customer Thanks to the implementation of Seeketing in high-traffic zones of the Camino, we achieve: Total Traceability: We know that the pilgrim who is at the hotel today was in Palas de Rei yesterday and in Portomarín the day before. Direct Communication: We send useful notifications, such as the status of the Queue to Enter the Cathedral or tips for the next stage, providing real value to the walker. Conversion: We convert foot traffic into direct bookings through mobile impacts at the moment of the purchase decision (when they arrive tired at the town). Conclusion for the Hotelier On the Camino de Santiago, every pilgrim is an opportunity that passes quickly. Seeketing's technology allows hotels to stop being passive spectators and become active agents that detect, attract, and retain the walker through a unique Phygital experience. Do you want to see pilgrim flows in real-time in front of your hotel? Contact us for a demo of our Seeketing Nodes and discover the hidden potential of your location.

Last week, we participated in WTM London 2025, one of the most relevant international gatherings in the tourism sector. For three days, destinations, operators, and technology companies met at ExCeL London to share ideas, trends, and solutions that are transforming the way we conceive travel. From Seeketing, we shared our vision on how the union between the physical and the digital (phygital) can help destinations and operators move towards more connected, personalized, and visitor-centric experiences. Our phygital approach allows for understanding and improving the complete traveler journey—from online inspiration to the visit at the destination—thanks to the intelligent use of data and proximity technology. This integration makes it possible to create stronger and more relevant relationships between tourism brands and their visitors. Key Takeaways from WTM London 2025 Growing interest in technologies that better connect the traveler's journey. Destinations are opting for solutions that integrate digital and in-person channels, offering continuous and measurable experiences. Digitalization and data are essential for building lasting relationships. Visitor knowledge and content personalization are now the foundation of any effective tourism strategy. The future of tourism is closer and more relevant. Technological innovation makes sense when it helps connect people, places, and experiences in a more human and sustainable way. WTM London 2025 was an excellent opportunity to share this vision and continue promoting a smarter and more connected tourism model. We are grateful to all the professionals with whom we exchanged ideas, projects, and inspiration during the event. We continue working to connect destinations, data, and people, and to support the sector in its transformation toward truly phygital experiences.

Seeketing took part in the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025, the leading global event on urban innovation, where cities, institutions, technology companies and organisations from around the world come together to shape the future of urban environments. Our participation this year reinforces Seeketing’s commitment to building smarter, more connected and people-centred cities. The event served as a key platform to share our vision of how technology can transform the relationship between citizens, visitors and the spaces they interact with. During the congress, we presented our approach to creating phygital ecosystems, which seamlessly merge the physical and digital layers of the city to: 1. Understand citizen and visitor behaviour in real time 2. Enable personalised and meaningful interactions 3. Deliver seamless experiences across physical and digital touchpoints 4. Connect public, cultural and tourist spaces within the urban environmen. From museums and cultural venues to urban districts, destinations and public services, our technology empowers cities to evolve into more human-centred and data-driven environments. This 2025 edition highlighted the growing interest in solutions that combine data + proximity + real-time interaction to enhance quality of life, accessibility, citizen engagement and visitor experience. At Seeketing, we believe innovation must serve people. For this reason, we work to ensure that urban, cultural and tourist spaces can offer connected, sustainable and memorable experiences to residents and visitors alike. Our participation in the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 marks a new step in strengthening strategic collaborations with cities, cultural institutions, smart destinations and technology partners. We continue to advance in bringing the phygital concept to the core of the cities of the future.