AHEAD Project findings dealing with tourism sector and tourism storytelling. Bibliography: Bencardino F., Marotta G., (2004), Nuovi turismi e politiche di gestione della destinazione.Prospettive di sviluppo per le aree rurali della Campania, FrancoAngeli, Milano. Giovanna Carcapede - Università degli studi di Urbino "Carlo Bò", Facoltà di Economia, Corso di Marketing agroalimentare e turismo rurale, Nuove forme di interazione fra domanda ed offerta turistica. Anno 2010-2011. Alessio di Giulio - Il turismo vocazionale. http://www.slideshare.net/Le-Mat/officina-le-mat-lab-2-alessio-di-giulio-il-turismo-vocazionale

1. TravelStorytelling.
CanAHEAD-STORIES help the
local destination marketing?
by Le Mat, Italy

2. Ahead
ProjectAims
&Objectives
A. Senior empowerment through ICT
B. Promotion of active aging
C. DEVELOPMENT OF A
NEW APPROACHTO
TOURISM

3. A new
approach…
which one?
 A community approach to tourism planning as
an attempt to formulate a bottom-up form of
planning, emphasising development IN the
community rather than OF the community.
 Seniors play a catalysing role in the process of
tourism planning, by identifying destinations
and specific rationale behind them and by
building new and novel forms of cooperation

4. Bottom-up
approach:
what does it
mean?
A. Absence of a vertical control
B. Differentiation of the actors
C. Strong connectivity among the actors and
the elements
D. Causes and effects in a circular process

5. A.Absence
of a vertical
control
 Tour operators, travelers, local actors work
together to create free self referential processes
 Self in tourism means AUTHENTIC !! (Not a
negative adjective!)

6. B.
Differentiation
of the actors
 The actors involved in the process are many,
different, non-traditional, sometimes informal.
 There are all the components needed to achieve
the dream.
 First of all… it is required the INSPIRATIONTO
BUILDTHE DREAM:
 STORIES !!!!!

7. C.Strong
connectivity
among
actors and
elements
 High degree of interconnection: the various
actors develop interactive relationships, real and
virtual, through which they realize the objectives
of the tourism product

8. D.Causes
and effects
in circle
 The product is in continuous assessment,
through the feedbacks received, its
characteristics are cyclically defined

9. Changes in
the tourism
market
Traditional
approach
Bottom-up
approach
Context it was considered a
separate thing by
operators
It is central, and the
operator is only one
part of it
opportunities and
threats
Fixed factors to
whom adapt
They are in progress
and depend on the
relationship that the
user has with all
elements
Results obtained by
operators
related to the
amount of
resources available
depending on the
ability to organize
and enhance the
overall resources
mobilized within the
system of
collaborative
relationships

10. Changes in
the role of
demand
 Travelers have a high awareness, collaborating in
the creation of the product and of the value by
requiring a kind of vocational customization of
the product
 Travelers stimulate the participation of other
elements of their emotional tribe-community of
travelers through a viral system of codes,
symbols, myths, stories etc ...

11. Changes in
the supply
 Not consuming destinations but experiences
 Collaborative!
 Destinations are overlapped and collaborative
matrixes (networks)
 In no region the opportunity to become a
destination is denied, it depends on how actors
can act as a bridge between the local host
communities and the tribal traveling
communities

12. HowAHEADProject has confirmed
these assumptions…

14. Ahead Pilot:
findings
dealing with
the tourism
sector
① The identity of the users of Ahead lies not in
their age but in their passions!
② Unlimited passions = Unlimited tourist
destinations
③ The traditional tourist services are overcome
by content, emotions, memories
④ The real new tour operators profile is: a
dream maker!

16. Ahead Pilot:
cases*
*sentencesfromfinal
evaluation
questionnaire
① I enjoyed to relate to other people who more or
less have common interest. I'll say something
stupid, but why I started so late to be
interested in all this?
② It was really interesting: the journey intended
as an exchange of ideas, knowledge of people
and their approach to life and its novelty in
time
③ Tourism authorities should give more
information on these alternative routes which
lead into the territory and who are part of the
daily life of a territory and that privilege
knowledge covered on foot or by bicycle or
other slowly manners
④ I dream my region as a place where
urbanization provide docks on the roads, cycle
paths, flower beds kilometric with broom,
lavender and all that befits to our region

18. Ahead Pilot:
feedbacks*
*sentences fromfinal
evaluation questionnaire
① I shared many ideas and learned a lot
from fellow travelers.
② It depends, there are those who like to
stay only in a place and people, as me,
who prefer to have different
experiences ... as much as possible…
③ we had small and short trips really
interesting without getting tired too, in
this way we succeeded in documenting
and telling …
④ I always loved to go off the beaten
track and explore, with AHEAD I got to
get it together and with trainers that
have led me to the discovery of rich
places of our roots.

20. Ahead Pilot:
impacts*
*sentences fromfinal
evaluation questionnaire
① Despite I have no great problems of social relationships,
now I appreciate more hiking in a little group. Attending
the course was really nice because we have created a good
relationship, communication and even help each other. I
often go to see with interest the stories of all the other
participants.
② Yes, Ahead has given me the opportunity not only to
capture, describe and develop the places I visit, a form
conceptually different from my tourism, which shared with
my wife makes me appreciate even more my country.
③ I learned that you have to be surprised, that you have to
start with the spirit of discovery because even a walk in
your city may reveal something new. I understand that you
do not need to go far away ..even around the corner you
can discover so much interest in history, nature etc.
④ The accompaniment of our trainers has allowed us to focus
attention on particular buildings and elements otherwise
undetectable.Thanks to the course I realized that it is
appropriate before visiting a place to inquire about what
the place offers, decisive is the curiosity to know and learn
what you visit.

22. Attractiveness
ofAhead for
tourism
operators
 In a local and collaborative system, ICT tools are
strategic for an effective communication of the
touristic supply

24. Hypothesis
 Question:Which are the requirements for a good
tool of communication in tourism field?
 Answer: It must be able to combine
 flexibility
 coherence
 reliability
 uniqueness of the product

26. Scenarios
Has AHEAD got these requirements?
 flexibility ✗
 Coherence ✓
 Reliability ✓
 uniqueness of the product ✔✔✔
How canAHEAD be improved?
improving the criteria for classification, search and
visibility of stories (keywords, geolocation,
crosslinking, advertising, etc)

28. So…finally…
let us
answer to
the
question:
CanAHEAD-STORIES help the local destination
marketing?
YES,THEY CAN!
Because destinations no longer count on their
traditional resources, but for the stories that are
able to offer connected to real and unique
experiences.

30. Storytelling
Adventures to
discover and
valorise
disadvantaged
areas
CaseStudy
Perugia
The context is very important:
 it is «unsual» as city tourism attractions
 it is hidden to the view of the tourists despite the
fact it is the first access to the city through the
train station

31. Key points of
discovering
disadvantage
areas
CaseStudy
Perugia
The network and
collaboration with
the local
Associations is a
must as thanks to
them you discover
the value of the
neighborhood

32. Key points of
discovering
disadvantage
areas
CaseStudy
Perugia
The storytelling and the sharing of stories on
the place, through the use of platforms and
social networks allows to make more people to
know about the value of it and create a critical
mass changing the stereotypes built around it

33. Tips for senior
learning/digital
storytelling
travels!
1. include participants in travel planning, ask
their passions!
2. include local communities, they make the
difference!
3. slow travel, small groups to enter in the
landscape and capture emotions!

34. THANK
YOU!