Is it really possible to empower cultural creative industries for sustainable and regenerative tourism? This was the driving question addressed to the numerous speakers during the online event organized by Friuli Innovazione within CCI4Tourism project on the 30th of September 2021. The event was part of the Creative Days initiative promoted by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.
The occasion offered the opportunity for discussion between local and transnational players recently involved in pilot actions combining creativity, tourism, digital and sustainability.
As Davide De Nicolò -Tecnopolis Puglia, Lead partner of CCI4Tourism – pointed out while describing CCI4Tourism results, it’s time to renovate the tourism in Alpine Adriatic region and in the wake of the pandemic, a new framework based on resilience to revive both the creative and tourism sectors includes entrepreneurial and digital upskills, as well as the implementation of sustainable practices.
In fact, new development models and new ideas have in common sustainability in its broadest sense: environmental, economic and social and “digital” more than ever before significant not only to surprise the people but is a functional element to offer a new service or a better service to tourists.
In this view, the project “Tourism ambassador” carried out by Promoturismo FVG is a very good example of cross fertilization between cultural and creative sectors and sustainable Tourism approach. Local and VIP Ambassadors – following specific training aimed at strengthening on digital communication skills – develop storytelling material promoting the territory and less known places leveraging on their unique experiences. With this project Friuli Venezia Giulia was awarded as 2021 Best creative destination in Italy within Regions’ category.
More than ever Digital skills are at the heart of tourism development, not only digital storytelling but also the serious game approach can contribute to promote cultural heritage and tourism. Goran Pavlov – IRI Cluster for research, development and innovation – presented several examples where the purpose of the game is to promote selected locations with role-playing games to give new experiences to tourists.
Creative and digital development models play an important role in promoting sustainable and regenerative tourism. CCI4T incubation program already developed ideas and thanks to their presentation the event promoted the exchange of knowledge and insights to improve and grow the sectors in question. Cooperating and exchanging information is the best way to accelerate the growth of the tourism sector. Further insights regarding digital upskilling and technologies applied to sustainable tourism offers, came from Adrion Cultural and Creative Thematic Cluster projects “EMOUNDERGROUNDS” and “CREATURES” represented by their lead partners.
The event ended with the “fire pitch” of 5 business projects developed within the CCI4T Transnational Incubation Program namely:
- BLAWALK from Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy), whose team developed an app facilitating the meeting between those who offer experiences (walks, trekking and bike excursions at different levels) and enthusiasts in search of destinations, experiences and companions. The idea has already collected 14.000 users’ registrations and is about to enlarge its network beyond regional and national markets.
- Slovenia Photo tours are guided photo trips to the most photogenic points of the Julian Alps. Katja Jemec, a professional photographer, is the heart and soul of these creative experiences. Besides the technical part of the photography participants can learn how to use the camera to capture Slovenian landscape and culture through their own view and camera lens. Good photo narrator must first know well the content he is photographing, only then can he tell the story with photos.
- COUNTESS GRETA – from Slovenia – it’s a new tourist program that offers tourists visits and unique experiences to discover cultural and heritage accompanied by Countess Greta – a character inspired by a famous person from the past.
- E-Animal – from Bosnia – combining Virtual Reality, education and 3D production is going to create a virtual park where people meet animals and get excited about science and motivate them to contribute to animal endangerment prevention.
- Accessible Tourism – from Greece – aims to support tourism carried out by vulnerable social groups, such as citizens and visitors with disabilities, people with reduced mobility and visually impaired people.
