Researcher Gema Piñero, from the GTAC group, participated as a speaker in the roundtable discussion on “Best Practices and Innovative Experiences in Digital Ecotourism”, held as part of the Global Ecotourism Forum 2025 in Barcelona. In her presentation, she introduced València-BioSoundscape, a pioneering initiative that proposes ecotourism routes featuring an immersive sound experience in the Turia Garden and Devesa de la Albufera, made possible through the use of artificial intelligence and bioacoustics.
The project addresses a key need: to make biodiversity visible in urban environments and to connect citizens with nature through accessible technology. To achieve this, acoustic monitoring devices have been developed to detect, in real time, both the species present and human-generated noise, creating ecotourism routes based on real data. This information is integrated into an interactive web app that offers soundscapes and personalized routes, fostering an immersive and environmentally respectful experience.
During the roundtable, Gema Piñero emphasized the innovative nature of the project, which combines sensorization, AI, and data visualization to offer a new perspective on Valencia’s green spaces: “If we can understand the biodiversity we have, we will take better care of it.” She also highlighted its potential for replication, thanks to its modular design and the support of the Urban Sandbox service of the Valencia City Council, which enables testing of new technologies in public spaces.
Looking ahead, the team is working on predictive models of biodiversity and the expansion of the system to new natural areas.