What we do

The Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the tourism sector in Mediterranean countries, leading to a halt in growth and forcing a reevaluation of the industry’s future direction. As countries work on relaunching tourism, there is an opportunity to shift towards more sustainable practices, such as industrial tourism, which can help in diversifying offerings, boosting economic growth, and incorporating advanced technologies for a smarter and more immersive visitor experience.

The SMITour Project aims to address the need for developing new Smart Industrial Tourism activities in Mediterranean regions to enhance economic diversification, promote social and economic growth, minimize environmental impact, and drive research and technological innovation. This will be achieved by leveraging the partners’ expertise and engaging regional stakeholders in transnational Focus and Working Groups (FWGs) through Innovation Camps. The focus will be on generating solutions through entrepreneurial discovery processes to establish new business models for Smart Industrial Tourism.

The study and analysis of the economic and social potential of Industrial Tourism require a collaborative effort that mobilizes resources, know-how, skills, and stakeholders across regions. Partners will conduct a shared study of their tourism systems to inform a common SWOT analysis, leading to the development of a strategy and action-plan for SMIT in the Mediterranean Regions. Collaborative efforts will include creating catalogues of Good Practices in Industrial Tourism and advanced technology applications, leveraging the diverse experiences and expertise of partners for transnational cooperation activities such as establishing stakeholder clusters and organizing innovation camps to drive the project’s success.

The success of developing Smart Industrial Tourism (SMIT) in the Mediterranean hinges on collaboration among various actors within the quadruple-helix framework, including public administrations, industry players, technology providers, and local communities. By fostering partnerships beyond local boundaries and leveraging the expertise and resources of different stakeholders, the SMITour project can create new SMIT activities and products that cater to the shared needs of MED regions with industrial sites. Facilitating knowledge exchange and cooperation through a transnational cluster will be crucial in disseminating and implementing the strategy and action plan effectively.

To easily summarise, the SMITour Project will proceed in implementing 3 different areas of action :

State of the Art Analysis

The social and economic potential of Smart Industrial Tourism (SMIT) in partner regions can be significant when analyzing their tourism systems, GPs, and advanced technologies’ applications. A joint SWOT analysis of sustainable SMIT in the Mediterranean area can highlight opportunities for regional and local public authorities, SMEs, industrial actors, cultural and creative industries, research and development centers, higher education institutions, technology providers, and local communities. Involving these stakeholders in the design of new SMIT activities and products through effective communication is essential for achieving project objectives and maximizing the benefits of SMIT in the target areas.

Smart Industrial Tourism development strategy and Action Plan for the Mediterranean regions

Our strategy for developing SMIT in the Med area involves a thorough Entrepreneurial Discovery Process, with active engagement of 4helix stakeholders such as local and regional public authorities, industry players, SMEs, CCIs, technology advisors, and local communities. Through thematic Innovation Camps and transnational Focus and Working Groups, SMITour project aims to address specific tourism innovation challenges identified through the EDP. Communication will play a key role in mobilizing stakeholders for participation and ensuring a collaborative and inclusive co-design process.

Result amplification and mainstreaming

The main goal here is to not only establish a standardized methodology for demonstration purposes but also to amplify the results obtained and promote the implementation of the project’s strategies and action-plan for developing sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean regions. By engaging decision-makers and stakeholders at various levels, the focus shifts towards emphasizing the outcomes and policy implications rather than just communicating the project activities themselves. This approach aims to drive tangible changes and widespread adoption of the proposed solutions within the targeted areas.