These are the main results of the two projects, PRONACUL and CREATURES, financed by the European Interreg ADRION programme program to make sustainable tourism a growing resource for economic development and innovation of territories
An App to identify the most suitable itinerary according to tourists' preferences and provide useful information on places, activities, services, contacts, and prices. Furthermore, a "virtual room" where to share, disseminate and promote the experiences and knowledge collected. Training courses for start-ups and SMEs in the cultural and creative enterprise (CCI) sector will be also available, together with reports, best practice and, above all, innovative, sustainable and experiential tourist routes.
These are the main results of the two projects, PRONACUL and CREATURES, financed by the European Interreg ADRION programme (link: https://www.adrioninterreg.eu/) to make sustainable tourism a growing resource for economic development and innovation of territories. Both European projects aim to preserve cultural and natural heritage, as well as to promote experiential and sustainable tourism in the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region.
PRONACUL- Promotion of natural and cultural heritage to develop sustainable tourism in protected areas (link: https://pronacul.eu/), involves 12 partners from Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia. It has developed a common methodology for natural and cultural heritage management based on a participatory approach.
CREATURES-Promoting creative tourism through new experiential and sustainable routes (link: https://creatures.adrioninterreg.eu/), on the other hand, it has been implemented by 8 partners located in different countries of the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region (Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). It has developed actions and tools to enhance skills, support decision-making processes, and test innovative solutions.
The Metropolitan City of Bologna (link: https://www.cittametropolitana.bo.it/portale/), the Project Leader of the CREATURES project, took part in both projects, which will be concluded in the coming weeks.
An app to discover 14 new itineraries in 6 countries
A few days ago the "CreaTourEs" app was released in the Android and IOS stores and on the project portal (https://portal.creatoures.eu/index.php/it/), providing maps and information about 14 tourist routes in 6 countries, with more than 3,000 total points of interest. These are walking and cycling routes designed by CREATURES project partners with the aim of establishing new connections for less visited places. The itineraries are addressed particularly to young people looking for alternative and creative touristic offers, with a focus on accessibility. Thanks to multimedia installations and QR codes, it will also be possible to learn more about the contents of the App and the experiential-sustainable aspects that characterize the selected route.
As part of the CREATURES project, the Metropolitan City of Bologna has created two routes that enhance the Piccola Cassia, an ancient Roman path that crosses the Apennines between Modena and Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region. The first is a new route, walkable and bikeable, that connects the center of Bologna to the small village of Monteveglio. The second was traced to enhance Porretta Terme and its soul music festival and spa. The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region created a Literary and a Musical route, with about 60 points of interest. Two routes for each project partner country were created in Slovenia, Greece, Croatia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A "Virtual Room", to build a sustainable and creative methodology together
The PRONACUL project, on the other hand, has focused on training courses on local policies and actions to support the tourism sector, territorial marketing, the economy of culture and local development; communication strategies to enhance the peculiarities of the area, and how to develop innovative project proposals. In addition, for all tourism operators, managers of protected areas, regional promotion agencies, associations, and stakeholders operating in the Adriatic-Ionian area, it is possible to disseminate and promote their experiences and knowledge through a "Virtual Chamber." In fact, the Project has created a free interactive virtual space where institutions and experts can confront and meet; where they can tell their experiences and find good practices, in order to spread an effective common methodology for the practical management of natural and cultural heritage.
Photo credits: "Where the River goes, there I wanna be - Bridges and banks of Ljubljanica river".
kolesarski ogled Ljubljane ob Ljubljanici, 2016 - Mankica Kranjec Nea Culpa . Courtesy of visitljubljana.com
Author
Marino Cavallo
Marino Cavallo has relevant experience in the economic sector and he developed many analyses and studies about the relations between social and economic issues and about the role of ICT technology and New Media in the cities and in the territories.
He has been working for more than 20 years in Local and Territorial Authorities in Italy (Province of Bologna, Metropolitan City of Bologna). In this period he achieved knowledge and experiences about public administration, innovation processes, projects to stimulate local and regional development. Moreover he started succesful activities for the managment of European Projects and Programmes of interregional cooperation between the different countries of the EU. He is Head of the Department Research, Innovation and Management of EU Projects in the Metropolitan City of Bologna (Italy).
