Alternative tourist strategies to enhance the local sustainable
development of tourism by promoting Mediterranean identity Dr. Alexandra Michailidou
Workshop "@trazione MARE - Crossborder strategies for the innovation of the coastal tourist offer" 22 October 2019, Livorno, Italy
Objectives
• Reduce the concentration of human activities in hotspots (exceeded carrying capacity) through the diversification of the offer • Highlight
the
value
of
MED
tourism
destinations by reinforcing Mediterranean identity • Enhance coordination of actions between
public and private stakeholders to create new business opportunities
Duration: 30 months Budget: 2,3 M€ Partners: Comunidad Valenciana Region: Valencian Institute of Building Foundation Málaga City Council Municipality of Genoa Ca' Foscari University of Venice City of Dubrovnik Larnaca-Famagusta Districts Development Agency Aristotle University of Thessaloniki South Aegean Region Observatory on Tourism in the European Islands
Pilots
Malaga
Mediterranean Identity
Experts from pilot areas defined 7 thematic categories and 68 characteristics of MED identity (https://alter-eco.interreg-med.eu/)
Mediterranean Identity
Mediterranean Identity • 4 different questionnaires filled in during personal interviews • Evaluation of importance and level of threat of the 7 categories and proposals of measures that would preserve/promote the MED identity by 725 residents, 235 tourism professionals, 88 scientific experts • Evaluation of the most important characteristic of MED Identity by 1186 tourists (interested in alternative routes, ways of information about alt. routes, most emblematic attraction of the place of visit, etc.)
Mediterranean Identity
Overall results - Tourists
Pilots - Dubrovnik
Control & management of tourists flows in old city: • Installation of Wi-Fi infrastructure
• Upgrade of existing Dubrovnik Card App (card offering discounts in sightseeing entrance fees, public means of transport, etc.)
• Upgrade of Dubrovnik Visitor APP (predicts the number of visitors in the Old Town on a given day)
• Connection of all IT systems to a common platform
Photo source: www.godubrovnik.com
Pilots - Dubrovnik
Visitors connect to free Wi-Fi, land on Dubrovnik Card App where they have to register themselves Suggestion of alternative routes presented with photos & videos Alternative routes are visible to users when the max carrying capacity is reached (4,000 people at the same time)
Pilots - Valencia
Control & management of tourists flows in city center: • 3 routes, prepared as Guides, invite visitors to (re)discover the city proposed by four residents in each of the 3 neighborhoods • The Guides can be downloaded free of charge at: www.guiasaltereco.com. • Mobile App geolocating attractive resources in the 3 routes, to promote them improving the visitor’s experience using technology, increasing interaction with gamification and augmented reality techniques • Cabanyal-Canyamelar-El Grau, Benimaclet and Ruzafa-Gran Vía
Photo source: www.visitvalencia.com
Pilots - Valencia
• 1,029 downloads of the App during the promotion campaign from up to
10 different countries • Based on the data obtained, a series of heat maps were prepared to identify the areas most visited by app users based on their interactions with Points of Interest. • The over one thousand App users
completed a total of 1,640 objectives and collected 396 gifts
Pilots – Genoa (Nervi)
Revitalization of the destination by introducing 5 new tourist products designed by the living lab Guided walking tour from the marina along the promenade, up to the Parks and the Museums with a nature expert for the outdoor tour and an art historian for Raccolte Frugone, Galleria
d’Arte
Wolfsoniana.
Moderna
and
Pilots – Genoa (Nervi) Olfactory walking tour through the Museums (Raccolte Frugone & Galleria d’Arte Moderna) and the Parks, led by an art historian and a perfume expert, for an
unusual discovery of olfactory links between the artworks and the flowers and plants in the Parks
Full immersion in ancient Ligurian crafts and trades traditionally linked to sea-life, listening to stories of fishermen, carpenters, woodcutters and line makers. The participants learn firsthand how to brine
anchovies, preparing their own small jar, in the picturesque cave in the ancient Collegio Emiliani’s Darsena (dry dock)
Pilots – Genoa (Nervi) Meetings in the Museums and Hotels of Nervi in collaboration with Marsano Agricultural Institute to discover, through tastings and intriguing stories, the taste of Ligurian extra-virgin olive oil, the scents of aromatic herbs, citrus fruits and roses ancient fruit and vegetable varieties
Visitors can experience the thrill of exploring the coast of the Genoese Riviera (where diving sports were first born) by kayaking, snorkelling or diving with a breathing apparatus, while discovering Nervi’s prehistoric cliffs, hidden coves, and ancient villas overlooking the sea
Pilots – Genoa (Nervi)
March – August 2018
Pilots – Malaga
• In cooperation with the living lab, the “Discover Malaga” pilot project was created
• Four alternative routes promoting the Mediterranean identity: heritage and local cultural values and their relationship with the Mediterranean Sea Soho-Ensanche: The arts district
Malagueta: Majestic Malaga and its port El Palo and Pedregalejo: seaside neighborhoods Tabacalera: industrial heritage in innovation
• Available
as
microsites
in
Tourist
Malaga
web
site
(http://www.malagaturismo.com/es/site/descubremalaga/), and as audio guides app
Pilots – Malaga
August – October 2018
Pilots – Malaga
• Big Data Flux Vision - an analytic tool that transforms the records of mapping from mobiles in statistical results about tourism flows
• It develops indicators about the origin, social profile and behaviors of visitors in Malaga • Indicators: • Visitors flow (number visitors) • Curves of presence (numbers visitors/ 30 min) • Duration accumulated of the stay (hours) • Social profile (kind and age)
• Origin of visitors (national and international) • Night presence / Area to spend the night (number of visitors that spend the night in the area)
Project deliverables
Key deliverables at https://alter-eco.interreg-med.eu/ • Online tool for the calculation of tourist carrying capacity of a destination • Deliverable 3.3.1 Testing Report – description of pilots and first results • Interregional Learning Portfolio: alternative best practice measures which
offer transnational education and transfer good practices from the lessons learnt
during
the
www.alterecotips.com
ALTER
ECO
project
implementation
Project deliverables
Key deliverables at https://alter-eco.interreg-med.eu/ • The available measures at the ALTER ECO Interregional learning Portfolio are backed by the Database of Good Practices • Deliverables 3.2.2 &
3.3.2 Methodology
for the definition of
Mediterranean Identity and the evaluation of the importance and level of threat of its characteristics • Deliverables 3.4 Design, Simulation and Model for implementation of Innovative tourism strategies
Thank you for your attention!
Dr. Alexandra Michailidou amicha@meng.auth.gr
Workshop "@trazione MARE - Cross-border strategies for the innovation of the coastal tourist offer" 22 October 2019, Livorno, Italy