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Sharing tourism data with stake- holders
The city of València offers interested partners and stakeholder a comprehensive and detailed overview of the data is gathers as part of its Tourism Intelligence System (SIT). From passenger demand over the offer and demand of accommodation to the frequency of air traffic in and out of València, the SIT offers a truly detailed insight into the tourism industry of the city. The database is continuously updated and gives potential partners as well as existing partners and stakeholders an opportunity to optimise their offers according to the relevant data.Find out more at: https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/sit
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Data collection at the heart of getting to the airport
‘Mobility as a Service’ (MaaS) is a digital service for people travelling to and from the airport, which combines all mobility options and provides the best travel options (even in the middle of the night, when most travel apps no longer offer options). It is a direct result of the Twin City Project and a great advantage for visitors to the city. Find out more at: https://mrdh.nl/project/mobility-service
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Easier public parking
The City of Athens developed its own mobile app to control public parking. The “myAthensPass” is accessible to visitors and residents, making it easy to pay for parking straight from a mobile device. The app offers municipal police the ability to manage and control all available parking spots in the municipality’s road network. Find out more at: http://www.parkinathens.gr and https://appadvice.com/app/myathenspass/1152368547
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Venice:
The city of Venice has equipped itself with a Smart Control Room (SCR), an integrated control room which gives the city’s administration the ability to monitor the city’s mobility, gather data and intervene promptly and prevent any incidents from occurring. This is particularly important to monitor tourist flows in real time and to help direct and divert streams accordingly to mitigate the effects of crowds, over tourism and help in the case of emergencies with quicker reaction times. By centralising several existing operating systems, for public transport, the SCR provides a unique and centralised system by which the city can control and manage the present by giving a comprehensive overview and planning for the future through the data collected. Find out more at: https://www.venis.it/index.php/it/node/1048
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Florence:
The Florence Smart City Control Room aggregates and shares data among the Florence Municipality, public utilities and public service providers in a common data platform and enables policy-making decisions for an increasingly responsive city. In addition, an open data platform with 1859 datasets is available, one of the most active open portals in Italy. In the case of tourism, FeelFlorence is an example of ICT tool based on data analysis to enhance the city as Smart Destination. The observed views on the Control Room are related to mobility and transport, parking status, cultural offer, KPIs of government services, etc.Find out more at: https://www.snap4city.org/drupal/node/531
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GenovaJeans Project
“GenovaJeans. Invented here!” is a project that perfectly represents the spirit with which Genoa wants to celebrate the origins of the most widespread fabric in the world and build a bridge to its sustainable future. Genoa therefore offers Jeans Made in Italy as a platform for designing and testing good practices of sustainable production and for involving the public in a quality process that guides consumers towards responsible choices. Starting from 2021, GenovaJeans is an annual event with which the city intends to enhance its firstborn products and to link Jeans Made in Italy to sustainable innovation. The event will mark the birth of the Via del Jeans in a touristic, commercial, cultural tour aimed at enhancing the streets (via Pre’, via del Campo, via San Luca) where the fabric has been produced and used since ancient time. The goal is also to promote the role of Genoa and Italy in the birth and development of the most popular garment in the word which at the same time is an icon of pop culture. Find out more at: www.genovajeans.it
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Local Branding for global recognition
Since 2018, the brand “Made in Szczecin” has been awarded by the City of Szczecin to the original products or services that show high quality while portraying the city in a positive light and are produced or offered by the business owners from the Szczecin Metropolitan Area. The brands goals are as follow: Promoting creative, economic, pro-investment and innovative projects in Szczecin; Strengthening Szczecin’s identity and building a positive image of the city and the tourist brand; Strengthening Szczecin’s image as an attractive tourist destination; Increasing in the quality of products and services offered in Szczecin; Promoting the city, as well as its entrepreneurs and institutions; Increasing in the loyalty of customers, both citizens and tourists, to local products and services. Find out more at: https://www.madeinszczecin.pl
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A sustainable guide to the city
San Sebastian has created a guide designed to help visitors contribute to the sustainability of the destination and the city. By inviting its visitors to read the “My Guide to be a Donostiarra (True Local)”, San Sebastian is inviting the locals to participate in keeping the city a sustainable destination and ensuring that the responsibility for this is a shared commitment by all. The guide comprises 6 best practices for visitors to follow while they are staying in or visiting the city and range from inviting visitors to learning the langue with some quick and easy phrases to encouraging the use of public transport while in San Sebastian.Find out more at: https://www.sansebastianturismoa.eus/en/come/quality-destination
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Horta à Porta for a better quality of life
Promoting the population’s quality of life through good agricultural practices is what the initiative Horta à Porta aims for. This project does not only encourage the creation of dynamic green spaces, but also promotes increased contact with nature and healthy habits without forgetting the reduction of waste. Horta à Porta also introduces organic farming as a form of production in which neither insecticides nor fertilizers are used, facilitating the creation of a balanced ecosystem.Find out more at: https://www.cm-matosinhos.pt/servicos-municipais/ambiente/horta-a-porta
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Sustainable choices for a sustainable stay
With a humorous approach, the “Sustainable Copenhagen” campaign seeks to motivate Copenhagen’s visitors to take care of the city and make sustainable choices during their stay. The campaign consists of 10 simple tips and tricks on how to make ‘little changes for a big impact’. The campaign encourages visitors to travel by bike or to use public transport, drink tap water and reuse water bottles, eat locally, shop sustainably and get off the beaten track.Find out more at: https://www.wonderfulcopenhagen.com/convention-bureau/copenhagen/sustainable-copenhagen
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How to prevent flooding in a sustainable manner
The MOSE system that has been implemented may at first glance appear to be a smart solution to a particularly Venetian problem, but it can have application across Europe and the world. To protect the city of Venice the unique architectural and environmental heritage the Experimental Electromechanical Module (MOSE System) operates to protect the city from high water and from the tides. The system can protect Venice and the lagoon from tides up to 3 meters high and from a sea-level rise up to 60cm expected in the next century. The MOSE flood gate was raised in 2020 and since then, Venice has no longer suffered flooding from tides exceeding 110cm. Find out more at: https://www.mosevenezia.eu/project/?lang=en
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Coastline sustainability at the center of responsible maritime tourism
València participates in the MITOMED project, a project that aims to improve the development of sustainable and responsible coastal and maritime tourism in the Mediterranean and is based on the following actions: Developing a system of tourism data indicators to measure the sustainability of tourism activities and their social and economic results and impacts; Promoting social dialogue between stakeholders; Creating the Green Beach model, a tool for local authorities and beach operators that helps them make decisions about the sustainable management of beaches; Developing an integrated management model of coastal and maritime tourism.Find out more at: https://fundacion.visitvalencia.com/en/sustainability/projects/mitomed
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Adopt a tree
Every year, Athens plants approximately 600 trees that need watering 3-4 times per week so that they survive, but 10%-40% of these trees die because of high temperatures. The city has begun to invest in proper maintenance of trees to protect them from weather events and to increase their environmental benefits. Athens created a map with the participation of residents that shows the coordinates of all the city’s trees and their characteristics to help design the most efficient and effective ways of maintaining the trees. Additionally, the Adopt-a-Tree program helps residents keep a schedule of when trees are watered to help them survive. Through the Novoville app, people can find a tree and commit to keeping it healthy by watering it.Learn more about ‘Adopt a Tree’ initiative here https://novoville.com/adopt-a-tree/
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The project “Street moves”: Encouraging interaction
In an ever more densely populated city, public space is becoming increasingly important. With the help of interactive construction kits like “Street moves”, Helsingborg is testing different solutions and transforming a street by creating space for more varied activities like playgrounds, outdoor gyms, plant cultivation. Simultaneously, the project brings more life to a street by enabling the formation of social meeting points. More and more people, forgoing cars and choosing alternative transport methods, give the city greater room to explore how the streets of the future might look like. This idea is being tested right now on a street in Helsingborg where space has been set aside for seating, bike parking, greenery and lighting. This creates a new urban landscape putting people at its centre which in the long run encourages interaction between residents and visitors and creates an even more authentic experience that visitors want from a destination. The project is a collaboration between the Vinnova project Street Moves, Helsingborg municipality and Arkdes.Find out more at: https://innovation.helsingborg.se/initiativ/street-moves/
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Be.Long project
The Be.Long project addresses foreign and offsite students, smart workers, start uppers, temporary residents and seeks to engender a sense of “belonging” to the city. The project aims to repopulate the historic centre with the next generation of residents and medium- to long-term rentals. The initiative will also act as a data gathering exercise to monitor the long-term rental market in the city centre. Although overseas students form a considerable segment of the target audience, the platform has also been conceived as a tool applicable to start-up workers and temporary citizens/workers who come to the city for a finite length of time. It is also aimed at smart workers and digital nomads, became more relevant with the Covid-19. Surveys suggest that the possibilities afforded by remote working have prompted 37% of the world’s workforce to consider moving location. Destination Florence is keen to promote Florence as a smart destination for these new mobile breeds of employee.Find out more at: https://belong.destinationflorence.com/en/
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The Green Conference and Event Handbook
VisitAarhus, is certified as a ‘Green Tourism Organisation’ and around 70% of all hotels in Aarhus already hold an official, international eco-certification, such as Green Key and Nordic Eco- Label, to protect the environment within requirements that entail reducing energy and water use, CO2 emissions and waste generated. Thanks to this proactive approach to sustainability, Aarhus has capable of successfully host high-profile events such as the launch of the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries in 2019 in an environmental-friendly way. “The Green Conference and Event Handbook” offers checklists and guidance from Aarhus University and the VisitAarhus Convention Bureau on planning any event in the city and, thanks to these practices, the city gained spot in the ‘Top 100’ on the highly recognized ranking by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA).Find out more at: https://www.visitaarhus.dk/sites/visitaarhusconvention.com/files/2019-10/The-Green-Conference-and-Event-Handbook.pdf
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A city for environmental-friendly events
The BCB helps event organisers create a positive impact on the environment (carbon footprint calculation, reduction, and compensation), on society (partnerships proposed with a panel of 35 local associations) and on the economy (working with our ambassadors to attract conventions relating to our local areas of expertise). In 2021, 9 conventions are being planned (51,850 convention days, generating an estimated €15 million local profit), thanks to the ambassadors of ‘Le Club des Ambassadeurs de Bordeaux’ (350 members). Finally, a local measure was enacted in 2018 to regulate the phenomenon of collaborative platforms (a maximum of 120 days per year for private rental, compulsory online declaration), spreading the presence of tourists across the territory and reducing the strains on real estate. 726 accounts were closed between 2018 and 2019. Find out more at: https://congress.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk
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“Kombilösung”
The “Kombilösung” is the inner-city streetcar tunnel starting in 2021 and offers further incentives for residents and visitors to switch to public transport. Gas and electric-powered vehicles are already being tested in bus operations, and targeted investments are being made in research into autonomous driving. The area-wide connection to the Stadtmobil car-sharing platform - where Karlsruhe is number one nationwide with almost 15,000 participants - and the kvv.nextbike rental bike system encourage citizens and visitors to use resources sparingly. The planned linking of tourist offers with the regiomove mobility network creates incentives for locals and visitors to organize their stay in Karlsruhe and discover the surrounding area. Find out more at: https://www.diekombiloesung.de/ and https://www.regiomove.de/
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Metrominuto Tour and Maps
Metrominuto Genova is a map like that of public transport designed for pedestrian routes, in which the most significant places are represented as stops on various pedestrian lines connected to a network. Genoa has implemented this map to rethink the way of understanding travel, the relationship with private vehicles, the relationship between the road and the urban fabric, creating the opportunity to discover and rediscover the Superba in unexpected ways with pedestrian paths. The aim is to show users how convenient it is to leave vehicles at home and to walk to destinations, without having to worry about traffic or parking and to enjoy the beauty of the city. Find out more at: https://www.visitgenoa.it/en/node/28795
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Gaziantep Card mobile application as means of support for disabled citizens using public transportation:
With the Gaziantep Card mobile application, the city is supporting its disabled citizens by guiding them to stops/stations, with audio and visual assistance. When at the stop, disabled people can send information to the vehicle of the transport line they want to use via Gaziantep Card mobile application which then notifies the vehicle driver that a disabled passenger is waiting at that stop. Moreover, an external announcement system installed on all municipal buses ensures that disabled citizens waiting at the stop have access to the vehicle they aim to use without any help as it reads the line code at each stop.Find out more at: https://gaziantepkart.com.tr
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KIMAP - navigation app for disabled people
The historic centre of Florence presents some objective difficulties for visitors with reduced mobility (especially in the oldest area of the city: narrow pavements, cobblestone pavements, uneven surfaces). In recent years the city has provided a kit (IT/EN) to facilitate and encourage tourism for disabled people which also includes the Kimap APP, which can be downloaded for free. Kimap allows users with mobility difficulties to find the most accessible and suitable path to reach destinations. The app provides 4 tour guides with historical-artistic itineraries connected to city mapping in open data for barrier-free tourism to explore the city in complete autonomy. The maps are constantly updated thanks to modern techniques for detecting road surfaces providing real-time information and optimizing navigation for people with wheelchairs, electric hand-bikes and scooters, family with baby strollers (updating accessible routes automatically, time and distance, providing voice assistant). Moreover, while used, Kimap automatically detects data and collects inputs from the users’ community. Bottom-up actions to co-create accessibility mapping by using information from the users, who become themselves data’ collectors, ensuring an easy and timely update with reasonable investment. In addition, crowd-mapping events permit the involvement of different mappers including associations and committees of people with disabilities in order to cover a large part of the city (e.g. crowd-mapping experience in the Anconella Park led to the identification of the interventions improving the accessibility to the area). Find out more at: https://kimap.it/en/
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Accessibility as comprehensive as never before
The València Accessible Guide features all the information on the accessibility of hotels, restaurants, museums, monuments and touristic services throughout all of València. The guide has been assembled in an easy to access and understand manner so that all visitors have the opportunity to discover and plan their trip to València that best suits their needs and ensures that their visit to the city is as comprehensive as it should be. The guide is available online and free to download for anyone who is interested and/or planning a trip to València. The guide is a bit step towards offering a detailed assortment of information for potential visitors and goes a long way in collecting the relevant information to ensure an accessible visit to the city.Find out more at: https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/valencia-accesible
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Accessible Athens for All
In partnership with the organisation Me Alla Matia (Through the Eyes of Others), ‘This is Athens’ - the city’s visitors’ guide, is making stories of adventure, hidden destinations, and schedule of events accessible to all visitors. The team created an accessibility guide that raises awareness about places in the historic city centre that are technically accessible but cannot be reached from the surrounding area. Guidance photos show uneven surfaces, ramps, and barriers. This process helped the municipality to recognize the urgency and quickly deliver fully accessible routes by building ramps and removing barriers. The guide is published for residents and visitors in Greek and English, with four routes designed for blind pedestrians and four designed for users of wheelchairs. Find out more at: https://www.thisisathens.org/whats-new-december-2021-accessible-athens
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LGBTQ+ friendly
Accessibility is also about inclusion and Aarhus’ city council has a strong focus on making Aarhus a better and more attractive city and a better and more attractive workplace for LGBTQ+ persons. As part of its commitment to LGBTQ+ community, Aarhus is member Rainbow Cities Network, actively working to improve conditions for LGBTQ+ citizen. Aarhus also hosts ‘KØN – Gender Museum Denmark’ presenting the cultural history between genders, equality, body, and sexuality.Find out more at: https://www.rainbowcities.com/cities/aarhus/
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Overcoming historic and unequal architecture
Venice has a unique urban landscape that is dominated by the numerous bridges dotting the city centre allowing visitors and residents alike to explore and experience the city. By creating accessible bridges, the municipality has started to adapt this architectural barrier to accommodate all visitors with limited mobility. These accessible bridges have been equipped with handrails and a facilitated step ramp for ease of access both to the resident and the visitors.Find out more at: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Ponte-delle-Sechere-an-example-of-a-fully-accessible-bridge-In-this-case-the-bridge-has_fig5_338854836