Page 124 - World Heritage and Tourism Innovation

Urška Starc Peceny, Tomi Ilijaš Matevž Straus Digital Innovation of Cultural Heritage

Technical Standards for 3D Digitisation here (in Slovenian and English): https://tourism4–0.
Pending the establishment of standard European org/heritage/toolkit/. Digital innovation of cultural
guidelines for the unification of digitisation activ- heritage projects changed in 2019 when the Slovenian
ities under Tourism 4.0, particularly its Heritage+ Ministry of Economic Development and Technology
sub-programme, the Tourism 4.0 Partnership pro- set out to become the leading European country to
duced the Technical Guidelines T4.0: Digital Inno- systematically develop unique tourist experiences by
vation of Cultural Heritage in 2019. These guidelines applying digital innovation to cultural heritage. With
represent essential technical standards in the process that as a goal, the Ministry published a public call for
of digitising cultural heritage. The guidelines offer a leading tourist destinations (35) that also involved
technical framework to all actors involved in digiti- co-financing ‘digital innovation of cultural heritage’
sation processes - heritage institutions, local and na- activities. The ‘Public Call for Building Competencies
tional governments, public services, technology com- of Leading Tourist Destinations and Development of
panies and other stakeholders. Guidelines are updated Tourist Offer at Leading Tourist Destinations in 2020
by the expert team of the Tourism 4.0 Partnership at and 2021’ was published in October 2019. Training in
least once a year, according to the technology develop- catering and tourism provided co-funding for digital
ment, accessibility of technological solutions, broader innovation of cultural heritage. Each applicant was
practice, and other criteria for the digital material. The required to implement digital innovation of immov-
document’s purpose is not to give precise and compre- able cultural heritage in its area and develop tourist
hensive instructions for digitising the material but to products and services that build upon digitised units
define fundamental guidelines and minimum require- of cultural heritage (e.g., virtual tours and virtual mu-
ments necessary to ensure the use of materials for en- seums, 3D printing of souvenirs, augmented reality
riching the experience of cultural heritage. applications in tourism, mobile and stationary gam-
Technical guidelines complement the Guide- ification, digitally enriched storytelling and digital
lines for capture, long-term preservation, and access animation, digital reconstructions of ruins or archae-
to cultural heritage in digital form (Issue: 6202–1 / ological sites …).
2013-MIZKS / 17 Version 1.0) prepared by a Ministry of In this case, this required applicants to 3D digit-
Culture working group in 2013 for the long-term pres- ise at least three units of immovable cultural heritage
ervation of cultural material in digital format (from from the Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage,
now on referred to as e-material) within the agenda out of which at least one should be further devel-
of the European Digital Si EU Ti. The guidelines’ first oped into a tourist experience, following the Slove-
edition covers the digitisation processes of audio ma- nia Unique Experiences guidelines (green, boutique,
terials, video materials, 3D models, image materials authentic, sustainable, local, experiential, personal
and 360° photos and videos. This document’s most …). The focus was on immovable cultural heritage,
significant contribution is digitising three-dimen- although exceptions for intangible and natural her-
sional objects and structures (in 3D models) and vid- itage were allowed after confirmation by the special
eo materials. This area has changed and developed the commission comprised of representatives of the Min-
most since the last update of the Guidelines for the istry of Economic Development and Technology, the
capture, long-term preservation, and access to cul- Ministry of Culture, and the Slovenia Tourist Board.
tural heritage in digital form in 2013. Although clear For the call, 5,480.00 EUR were allocated, and the pro-
standards are not yet in place, we can define vital tech- jects were to be completed by June 2022 (the deadline
nical guidelines based on industry practice. The T4.0 was postponed from October 2021).
technical guidelines also set the bar higher for mini- The call obliged applicants to work closely with re-
mum standards for digitising image, video, and audio gional offices of the Institute for the Protection of Cul-
materials - mainly due to better and more easily acces- tural Heritage of Slovenia, local, regional, or national
sible equipment. Technical guidelines are accessible museums, the national library and other national in-

120 | Proceedings of the 7th UNESCO UNITWIN Conference