Page 130 - World Heritage and Tourism Innovation

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

content management, team collaboration, stakeholder tional to a developmental focus in tourism destina-
management …) have been upgraded, while many of tion development. As discussed at the third training
the staff have been, for the first time, involved in de- and workshop, digital interpretation projects alter the
veloping and launching a partially technological solu- position of DMOs from channel-oriented (managing
tion. Similarly, digital interpretation skills have been channels) to content-oriented (creating content). This
significantly improved, especially in cultural heritage shift recognises a broader societal change toward the
interpretation. To develop the skills mentioned earlier mass creation of engaging, authentic and personal
further, continuous use of these skills is crucial – new content (e.g., influencers and micro-influencers…).
projects and processes where skills can be put into ac-
tion and further upgraded pose an essential element Awards and Prizes
in developing sectors’ development capacities. At the 14th European Cultural Tourism Network con-
Another benefit beyond immediate deliverables ference in Athens under the central theme ‘Regenerat-
has been established collaborations. Newly or signif- ing European Tourism through Culture, Heritage and
icantly strengthened collaborations have formed be- Creativity, ‘ the Ministry of Economic Development
tween tourism destination managers, tourism provid- and Technology of Slovenia received the ECTN award
ers and technology providers, tourism and heritage for its digital innovation project in cultural heritage.
sectors, and tourism and creative industries (digital The Ministry was also awarded second place in the
artists and designers, interior designers, and sound Digitalisation in Sustainable Cultural Tourism to-
artists…). Moreover, many civil society stakeholders, wards Smart Destinations category.
such as local associations, have contributed content The Award enhances the visibility of European
and ideas to the projects. In the future, such collabo- cultural tourism destinations, creates a platform for
rations could be further intensified – primarily when sharing experience and knowledge, and promotes
enough time for collaboration is allocated in the time- networking between destinations. Still, it confirms
line, enabling structured involvement and equal con- the ambitious path toward bridging the gap between
sideration of all inputs by various organisations. tourism and cultural heritage through digital technol-
One of the foremost collaborations is between ogies.
the tourism and cultural heritage sectors. We believe
this collaboration has planted a seed of mutual – yet Conclusion and Way(s) Forward
sometimes still conflictual – understanding between Although initially too ambitious and uncharted, the
the sectors. On the one hand, the potential of cultural Ministry of Economic Development and Technology’s
heritage (its stories, universal values, emotions, and initiative to introduce ‘digital innovation of cultural
relationships) has been stressed and, to some degree, heritage’ to the work of leading tourist destinations
accepted by the DMOs. Intertwining heritage stories and their DMOs proved to be a bold and visionary step.
and values with tourism offered a creative spring- The initiative produced engaging experiences
board for novel experiences and narratives. On the and attractive digital materials on Slovenian cultural
other hand, the cultural heritage sector was given a heritage. It paved the path for further collaboration
clear and, in most cases, honest invitation to co-cre- at the crossroads of tourism, cultural heritage and
ate and co-develop tourism narratives and offers. Al- digital technologies. Digital innovation projects have
though somehow necessary, GLAM organisations in often started with technology scepticism and the wish
many destinations have not taken part, nor were they for ‘regular ways of doing things’. However, through
honestly involved in destination development until workshops and training, primarily through hands-on
these projects. work at the local level and producing engaging and
Strategically, projects and processes initiated by attractive results, scepticism has turned into enthusi-
them are essential precursors for tourism destination asm. Learning about digital technologies and the rich
management – they signal an upgrade from a promo- resources of stories and narratives within the cultural

126 | Proceedings of the 7th UNESCO UNITWIN Conference