1.
eTourism
March 16th & 24th, 2015
Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Master «Gestion des Sites culturels et naturels
et Valorisation Touristique (GSVT)»
prof. Lorenzo Cantoni
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI Lugano, Switzerland)
UNESCO chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites
IFITT – International Federation for Information Technologies and Travel & Tourism
lorenzo.cantoni@usi.ch ¦ @lorenzocantoni

2.
AGENDA
eTourism ¦ Online Communication Model ¦ content quality ¦ usability
eTourism and heritage tourism ¦ webanalytics ¦ [online promotion]
Two major challenges

3.
ICT
IN TOURISM EXPERIENCE/SECTOR
Pre
Getting
there [and
back]
During Post

4.
OCM: ONLINE COMM. MODEL

5.
Cluster
Pillar/
Element
Outline Description
Relevant communication
issues
Main issues in
web2.0
Things
I pillar
Contents
and
function
alities
It includes all contents and services
provided, their structure and features
 Information quality
 Information architecture
 Semiotic code choice
 Formats/styles of web
writing (new ‘literary
genres’)
 Online service design
 Intercultural
communication/Local-
ization
 Communication
benchmarking
 Arguments’ design
 Ethics of/in
communication
User Generated
Contents (UGC)
II pillar
Accessibi
lity tools
and
publicati
on outlet
It includes everything that is needed to
make available the elements belonging
to the first pillar: hardware, software
and human computer interface.
It also includes the choice of where to
publish such elements, be it an owned
media (e.g.: a corporate website), an
earned one (e.g.: a Facebook page), or
a paid one (e.g.: a paid campaign
hosted by a third party).
 Online communication
strategy (incl. evaluation
of adequate publication
outlet)
 Human Computer
Interface/Interaction
 Usability and User
Experience
 Earned
media
 Multimedia
in its
fullness

6.
Persons
III pillar
People who
manage online
contents and
services
It includes all involved people
having a stake in the publication
of contents/services: from those
who have the idea, up to those
who design, develop, implement,
test, maintain, promote, evaluate
it, not to forget those who
interact with users.
 User requirements’
engineering/elicitation
 Organizational Maturity
when it comes to online
communication
 Training in relevant
communication issues (see
all other pillars)
 Always
on
(mobile)
 Accessing
info +
meeting
people
(library +
public
square)IV pillar
People who
access online
contents and
services
It includes all people who access
published messages. In fact, in
the so-called web2.0, users do
become quite easily publishers –
while producing UGC: User
Generated Contents – so to blur
the border in-between pillar III
and IV, and to co-create the
online representation of
companies, institutions etc.
 Human Computer
Interface/Interaction
 Usability and User
Experience
 Online promotion
 Usages’ analysis
(webanalytics)
Context
V
element
Information
competitors
All global communication players
that are likely to be accessed by
users interested in a given
topic/issue.
 Reputation in online media
 Online image
 Communication
benchmarking

7.
ASSESSING CONTENT QUALITY
Accuracy ¦ authority ¦ currency ¦ objectivity ¦ coverage

8.
USABILITY
See ad-hoc presentation: http://goo.gl/iEAoAW

9.
Widen access
Increase
ownership
and promote
interpersonal
encounters
Enrich visit
experience
Dis-
intermediate
(some)
relationships
Upgrade
knowledge /
skills in
MSMTE
FIVE MAIN AREAS OF
INTERVENTION FOR ICT

10.
SOME REFERENCES
12 aims of sustainable tourism, 2005, UNWTO & UNEP
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTD 2005
UNWTO Sustainable Tourism for Development Guidebook 2013
D. Buhalis, R. Owen, D. Pletinckx, 2009, Information communication technology applications for World Heritage Site management, in
a. Leask, A. Fyall, Managing World Heritage Sites, Elseiver, 2009
Milne S., Ateljevic I, 2001, Tourism, Economic Develoment and the global-local nexus: theory embracing complexity, Tourism
Geographies, 3 (4), 369-393.
Ali A. Frew A.J., 2009, ICT and sustainable tourism development: an analysis of the literature, HITA Conference 2009
UNESCO chair @ USI tot.
12 aims ST
2005
UNCTD 2005
UNWTO
ST4D
Guidebook
2013
BUHALIS-
OWEN-
PLETNICKX
2009
MILNE &
ATELJEVIC
2001
FREW 2000
ALI & FREW
2009
ENRICH VISIT EXPERIENCE 5 1 not exp. 1 1 1 not exp. 1
WIDEN ACCESS 4 0 1 not exp. 1 not exp. 1 1
INCREASE OWNERSHIP AND
PROMOTE INTERPERSONAL
ENCOUNTERS
3 1 1 1 not exp. 0 0 not exp.
DIS-INTERMEDIATE (SOME)
RELATIONSHIPS
3 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
UPGRADE KNOWLEDGE /
SKILLS IN MSMTE
3 not exp. 0 not exp. 1 1 1 not exp.

11.
#1: WIDEN ACCESS _1
Access information and share experiences online
E.g.: videos ¦ websites ¦ …

12.
#1: WIDEN ACCESS _2
E.g.: Latin America

13.
#1: WIDEN ACCESS _3
E.g.: 129 African WHSs: 24 dedicated websites

14.
#1: WIDEN ACCESS _4
E.g.: Portugal UNESCO

15.
#1: WIDEN ACCESS _5
E.g.: France UNESCO

16.
#2: ENRICH VISIT EXPERIENCE _1
• While onsite: mobile access ¦ location based services (LBS)
¦ augmented reality (AR) ¦ multiple voices ¦ …
• The case of mobile apps
– July 2013, on iTunes apps for 140 out of 981 WHSs
• 70 Europe, 41 Asia, 13 North America, 6 South America, 5 Africa, 3
Oceania, 2 Central America
• 99 cultural, 36 natural, 5 mixed
• 47 sites had more than one app
– WHS and/or UNESCO logo present in 12.2% and 11.3% of apps
• explicit reference to world heritage in 56.5% ¦ year of inscription:
31.3% ¦ specific sustainability hints: 9.6% ¦ actual reason of
inscription: 7.8% ¦ UNESCO and its 1972 Convention: 4.4%
Schieder, T. K., Adukaite, A., & Cantoni, L. (2014). Mobile Apps Devoted to UNESCO World Heritage
Sites: A Map. In Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2014, pp. 17-30

17.
#2: ENRICH VISIT EXPERIENCE _2
E.g.: Patrimonio Ticino
Lessons learned: Open source ¦
no data roaming ¦ clear statement on Outstanding Universal Value ¦
responsible/sustainable tourism ¦ joint forces ¦ CSR

18.
#3: INCREASE OWNERSHIP AND PROMOTE
INTERPERSONAL ENCOUNTERS _1
Digital StoryTelling ¦ informal learning ¦ gamification ¦ sharing economy ¦ …
E.g.: Whacy (play it! www.whacygame.org/retosa)
Lessons Learned: collab. ¦ informal learning + empowerment ¦ gamification ¦
100k+ students involved ¦ FB campaign: 3’250+ likes ¦ RETOSA homeSacredTreeofAmbohimangaRova(Madagascar).
PicturebyMaminirinaRadiferaRanaivoson

19.
#3: INCREASE OWNERSHIP AND PROMOTE
INTERPERSONAL ENCOUNTERS _2
Listening to Online Travel Reviews
E.g.: Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Rome, Italy)
DeAscaniis,S.,&Cantoni,L.(2013).Artisticandreligious
experiencesinonlinetravelreviewsonSaintPauloutsidethe
walls(Rome).ProceedingofICOT2013,InternationalConference
onTourism,Lymassol,Cyprus,5-8June,pp.160-173

20.
#4: DIS-INTERMEDIATE (SOME)
RELATIONSHIPS
Distribute info ¦ support communication and promotion ¦ …
E.g.: www.ilhademocambique.org (collab. ¦ local involvement ¦ MSMTE)
E.g.: www.olgasproject.com (from NGO’s to tourism communication)
Co-Design of eTourism Application. The Case of Ilha de Mozambique By Salomao David
and Lorenzo Cantoni Download PDF
Communicating Tourism Sustainability Online. The Case of Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.
By Maria Garbelli, Asta Adukaite and Lorenzo Cantoni Download PDF

21.
#5: UPGRADE KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS
eLearning ¦ Open Educational Resources (OER) ¦ MOOCs ¦ …
E.g.: elearning.ticino.ch ¦ www.elearning4tourism.com

22.
FIVE MAIN AREAS OF
INTERVENTION FOR ICT
Everybody Locals
Tourists Tourism
players
Widen access
Enrich visit experience
Increase ownership and promote
interpersonal encounters
Dis-intermediate (some) relationships
Upgrade knowledge / skills in MSMTE

23.
TWO MAJOR CHALLENGES /
OPEN QUESTIONS
Not being able to get lost + being pampered
Elastic relationship between ordinary and travel time

24.
www.unescochair.usi.ch
prof. Lorenzo Cantoni
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI Lugano, Switzerland)
UNESCO chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites
IFITT – International Federation for Information Technologies and Travel & Tourism
lorenzo.cantoni@usi.ch ¦ @lorenzocantoni