PLACES – Promoting Landscape, Accessibility and Culture for Experiential and Sustainable Tourism | ITAT-46-019 | PC Interreg Italy-Austria 2021-2027
Project Description.
The project promotes a culture of accessibility among tourism, museum and cultural operators in the cross-border area, as well as the accessibility, inclusiveness, digitization and experiential character of tourism offerings to increase their usability and enjoyability by all.
PLACES intervenes directly in 4 pilot sites in Vicenza, Klagenfurt, Fortezza (BZ), Tarvisio (UD), characterized by the presence of museums and significant landscape and cultural aspects. Here it realizes new content and services (multimedia, digital and interactive content, thematic museum itineraries and in the territories, solutions for autonomous visits by disabled people, virtual tours with mapping of accessible Points of Interest, inclusive communication tools) through the use of new technologies and artistic languages, and with the involvement of local communities for an authentic narrative of the places and their active participation in the enhancement of cultural and natural heritage as a common good.
The pilot sites will eventually be connected into the PLACES museum circuit (expandable to other facilities after the end of the project), which will allow remote visitation and access to special content, for cross-border promotion of sustainable and accessible tourism.
Overall goal
PLACES aims to contribute to the strengthening of cross-border cooperation between the regions involved through the enhancement and promotion of their cultural and natural heritage. The project is based on 4 pillars: technological innovation, accessibility (motor, cognitive, sensory, digital), inclusion, and culture from a participatory perspective.
PLACES promotes landscape, culture, and the values of accessibility and inclusion for the development of sustainable and experience-oriented tourism, capable of having a positive impact not only on tourists and visitors, but also on local areas and communities.
Through co-design, development and innovation methodologies, PLACES aims to improve the tourism offer of the areas involved with innovative, experiential and inclusive proposals, developed with the active involvement of local communities for an authentic narrative of places and their history, respecting the environment and people. Adopting the paradigm of design for all, the project represents a benchmark for inclusive design, making tourism products and services accessible to all, including people with special needs and requirements.
PLACES aims to consolidate cross-border collaboration through the joint and coordinated development of a model of cultural and sustainable tourism: on the one hand, favoring the deseasonalization of the tourist offer, increasing the attractiveness of the areas involved during the low season; on the other hand, enhancing unusual and lesser-known sites or territorial aspects, promoting in these an increase in the number of visitors and tourists.
PLACES will develop a series of diverse but coordinated interventions in 4 pilot sites in 4 regions:
- Vicenza Museum of Nature and Archaeology (Veneto);
- Fortress Fortress (Upper Adige);
- Cave del Predil in Tarvisio (Friuli-Venezia Giulia);
- Kärnten Museum in Klagenfurt (Carinthia).
On the one hand, the project aims to carry out some structural improvements in the pilot sites, to make their use easier and more enjoyable for all, and to enrich the museum and territorial offer through interactive d experiential elements; on the other hand, through the use of accessible and inclusive technologies, the digitization of museum and cultural content and the creation of a digital museum circuit, it promotes the inclusive and coordinated digitization of the tourism offer of the participating regions.
Expected Results.
RCO84 – Pilot Actions Jointly Developed and Implemented under Projects
The consortium develops, implements and completes under the project 2 pilot actions involving at least two participating countries in their implementation. Specifically:
- Pilot intervention in the Klagenfurt pilot site (Museum of Carinthia and its territory) with the cooperation in particular of the Italian partners La Piccionaia and independent L. with the Austrian partners Landesmuseum für Kärnten and Kärnten Werbung for digital accessibility (WP3), involvement of the local community in participatory paths for authentic storytelling of the places (WP3), creation of new digital content (e.g. VR tours, WP3) and experiential products for museum and local enjoyment (e.g., new experiential itineraries in the museum and local area, WP2), co-design of the pilot site opening event in Carinthia (WP4)
- Creation of the PLACES museum circuit (online platform for presentation of museums and their offerings, de remotely visit and enjoyment of different types of content), which sees the cooperation of all partners and in particular independent L., Tourist Consortium of Tarvisio, Sella Nevea and Pramollo Pass, Landesmuseum für Kärnten and Kärnten Werbung (WP4).
RCO87 – Organizations cooperating across borders
There are 8 organizations cooperating across borders within the project, located in 4 regions between Italy and Austria.
Project partners:
- La Piccionaia S.C.S.
- Cooperativa sociale independent L. Onlus soc. coop.
- Tarvisio, Sella Nevea and Pramollo Pass Tourist Promotion Consortium
- Municipality of Vicenza
- Landesmuseum für Kärnten
- Kärnten Werbung
Associated partners:
- Equality Council of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol
- Municipality of Tarvisio
Planned start date: 01/01/2025
Planned end date: 01/01/2027
Total costs: €963,013.75
EU funds (ERDF): €721,976.28
National contribution: €165,827.16
Own resources: €75,210.31
Funded by the European Union
ITAT-46-019 | PLACES is financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Interreg Italy-Austria VI-A 2021-2027 | Strategic Objective SDG 4 – A more social and inclusive Europe through the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights | Priority 3 – Sustainable and Cultural Tourism | Specific Objective RSO4.6 – Strengthening the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation | Action type 3. Development, adoption and transfer of technologies, know-how and good practices | Priority Action Area 29 – Development of sustainable tourism products/services as accessible as possible across borders.
