Smart Road Pricing Strategies for Sustainable Tourism Management in Sierra Nevada National Park: Insights from a Dynamic Field Study

Abstract

This project focuses on the Sierra Nevada National Park, specifically in the Alpujarra towns of Pampaneira, Capileira, and Bubi´on. The objective is to develop a dynamic pricing algorithm for parking management in the Barranco de Poqueira area. The Barranco de Poqueira annually attracts a significant number of tourists and nature enthusiasts. While this influx benefits the local economy, it also poses potential threats to the park’s ecological balance. For this reason, this project proposes an alternative approach that combines machine learning techniques to develop a dynamic pricing algorithm based on a dataset of tourist visitation data in the area while preserving social responsibility, economic sustainability, and environmental preservation components. Additionally, we incorporate a behavioral component, which is based on the likelihood of future visits if a parking toll is implemented. This data is obtained through questionnaires.