Digital participatory tools for territorial promotion: the #iziTRAVELSicilia case study

This paper addresses the topic of innovative tools for tourism and culture promotion; specifically, it analyzes izi.TRAVEL web platform and app, as used in a pilot project in Sicily, launched as #iziTRAVELSicilia on May 2016; the project aimed at encouraging tourists to enjoy the territory and its cultural resources, making tourism experience better overall through storytelling by native people such as students and scholars. Starting from a review of the literature on the use of ICTs for territorial promotion, the paper explores the case of this participatory project on izi.TRAVEL, with the aim to bridge the gap of digital communication and enhance Sicilian cultural heritage and tourist attractions. This project involved thousands of people representing the “heritage communities” cited by the Faro Convention, so it could be recognized as a best practice of cultural con-tent and values co-creation, joining people in smart heritage communities. The paper, through the case analyzed, contributes to develop knowledge about innovative marketing tools for tourism promotion of territory. It highlights not only the information role of tourist apps, but also their importance in stimulating people emotional and creative involvement in the co-creation of app contents, as to make their experience memorable. The paper highlights the strategic importance of innovative tools in promoting cultural heritage of a territory and offers insights to policy makers on the possibility for defining territorial promotion strategies through coordinating and active involving both local people and tourists, so revealing a serious impact on civil society made by this platform.