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Innovation Library: Storytelling and Sense of Place

Storytelling is an effective way of providing a deeper understanding for visitors and develops a sense of place at the site. It is a useful method of connecting the past and present and encourages visitors to explore further and stay longer at the World Heritage site. Using digital technologies, many sites use storytelling to transport visitors back in time, to imagine how everyday life might have been like and hear stories of local history. This style of innovation has also been used to promote

Archaeological Site of Olympia, Greece

The Olympic Botanical Garden

The Olympic Botanical Garden, with plant species representing aspects of historical and mythical Greece. – © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports / Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia
The Olympic Botanical Garden, with plant species representing aspects of historical and mythical Greece. – © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports / Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia

What led you to initiate this innovation? Why was it needed? What was happening at the site that motivated you to develop and implement this innovation?

In 2007 the landscape of Olympia was seriously hit by a devastating fire, which burned out a great part of the Peloponnese. The Ministry of Culture and the local authorities decided to undertake a project to protect the area from the landslides and restore the flora of the area by planting more than 30,000 plants and trees. This project was implemented by the National Greek Foundation of Agricultural Research. Consequently, through the immediate and coordinated efforts, in a short period of time, the natural environment has been restored. One of the parallel targets of this project was the planning of a Botanical garden near the archeological site, which would give the chance to the visitors of the archaeological site to see the different species of the local flora. In 2011 the Ephorate of Antiquities of Olympia and the National Greek Foundation of Greek Agricultural Research decided to implement the idea of constructing the Olympic Botanical garden.

Describe the innovation - what did you do and how did you do it? Who was involved? Who was responsible? Who is managing this now?

The garden stretches along the footpath connecting the Archaeological site with the Archaeological Museum. 58 different plant species were planted in this area, representative of the flora of Olympia and the surrounding territory. Many of them were also used in the restoration of the landscape after the fire of 2007. Visitors can see in oaks, wild olives, myrtles, etc.

The area is organized like an open- air museum with informative signs for each plant and additional information for the area. The scope of this open - air museum was the presentation of the plants that grew in the surrounding area of Olympia in antiquity. Consequently, the description of the site of Olympia by ancient authors and later testimonies restricted the selection of the species that were used. However, it is certain that the selected species contributed to the formation of the ancient forest and the vegetation of the Olympic landscape.

What was the result? What impacts have you achieved? What changes have taken place? Are they all positive? Were there negative impacts resulting from this?

The impacts of the Botanical garden have been positive, some of the results include:
The Olympic Botanical Garden provides the opportunity to inform visitors about the different species of trees, bushes and other plants, which constitute the present and ancient landscape of Olympia.
It promotes environmental consciousness.
It contributes to environmental education and science and to the development of voluntarism in the local community of Olympia.

What did you learn and what would you recommend to others if they wanted to replicate this innovation?

For the construction of the Olympic Botanical Garden a methodology was developed by the Hellenic Agricultural Organization (For Agro Tour), which is recommended to everyone who wants to replicate this innovation.

Contacts and useful links:
Erofili-Iris Kollia - Email
N. Proutsos, The Plants of Olympia, Olympic Botanical Garden, Botanical Guide, Athens 2015.


Historic Centre of San Gimignano, Italy

San Gimignano: Be Tuscan for a Day

© Be Tuscan For a Day – http://www.betuscanforaday.com/en/
© Be Tuscan For a Day – http://www.betuscanforaday.com/en/

What led you to initiate this innovation? Why was it needed? What was happening at the site that motivated you to develop and implement this innovation?

San Gimignano historical centre is very small at 900 x 500m and our site is suffering from overcrowding of tourists. We needed to encourage tourists to visit the countryside and the surrounding areas. We wanted to communicate to visitors that people still live in the centre of the city and it is not a museum or a fake commercial mall. We needed to give the local community a voice and find a wider governance to share tourists.

Describe the innovation - what did you do and how did you do it? Who was involved? Who was responsible? Who is managing this now?

The project is based on an organized a web destination platform where local experiences can be shared. It encompasses a wide area around San Gimignano composed of six municipalities: from the more famous Monteriggioni and Volterra to hidden gems like Poggibonsi, Casole d'Elsa, Radicondoli and Colle di Val d'Elsa.

This area represents a unique tourism destination due to its ancient and new transport routes (Francigena and Via de Sale), for its cultural and landscape heritage: the history is old and wide ranging and cannot just be told, it must be lived.

The web platform invites locals to share their experiences and presents a useful tool for communicating, promoting and enhancing important local development projects from a tourism point of view. For example:

  • Weddings: "Be Tuscan for your Special day" is the first comprehensive platform for venues and experiences for civil weddings and celebrations. It promotes travel experience to start the "journey of life".
  • Food: experience food and local products through "Mercatale della Valdelsa", which is an itinerant farmers markets that brings local high quality products to the main squares of the towns.
  • Art and Craft: provides information on materials and techniques, cultural heritage and contemporary art through specific itineraries all around the region.

The project was promoted by seven municipalities and Regione Toscana and developed by Terre di Siena Lab. Terre di Siena is still involved in the management of the project, on behalf of the Municipalities and it supports them in the development of area strategic projects on tourism.

What was the result? What impacts have you achieved? What changes have taken place? Are they all positive? Were there negative impacts resulting from this?

We obtained attention from the Regione Toscana and we were invited to tourism fairs to introduce the project. Thanks to this, the number of weddings have increased. We also found a way to promote the farmers market. The challenge is in order to continue growing the platform we need to have active participation from the community. Working with several Municipalities also creates challenges for the development of the project. We hope this project is just the beginning of the biggest governance for tourism in our area.

What did you learn and what would you recommend to others if they wanted to replicate this innovation?

Cooperation is challenging but it is necessary.
'Be Tuscan for a Day' offers functionality and visibility to a whole range of activities that can be experienced in this particular Tuscan area. It enables visitors to discover the history, the traditions, and the customs that have existed for centuries.

It offers sustainable touristic offers, so different from the many sensationalisations of cultural heritage, and is characterized by quality, authenticity, TUSCANICITY, to directly link you to the beating heart of this piece of Tuscan land. It gives its visitors the chance to feel like a real Tuscan, even if just for one day.

Contacts and useful links:

Assessore Carolina Taddei - Email
Comune di San Gimignano website
Valentina De Pamphilis, Terre di Siena LAB

Web links:
General
Wedding edition, Wedding brochures
Food
Art & Craft

Social:
Facebook: Be Tuscan For a Day
Instagram: @BeTuscanForaDay


Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct), France

Pont Du Gard - The Pont du Gard Tour

What led you to initiate this innovation? Why was it needed? What was happening at the site that motivated you to develop and implement this innovation?

According to research and analytics of the comments on visitor websites, our visitors were not taking full advantage of everything the site had to offer. The visitor experience was often limited to seeing the bridge and possibly swimming, for the bravest visitors. The visitors were missing our kilometres of hiking trails along the remains of the aqueduct, the museum spaces "Memories of the Garrigues". The challenge was to discover the size and richness of this unique place and to understand its history.

For a few years now, digital and e-tourism have become increasingly important, especially in the decision-making processes of tourists. The use of mobile phones has become essential and requires new innovations and approaches. The new communication tools offer more immersive experiences, are more attractive and make it possible to stimulate sharing.

As a result, we wanted to innovate and implement new tools for storytelling, and take a more creative and inclusive approach to social networks.
The Pont du Gard takes a global digital approach for the visitor experience.

  • A website in 12 languages with reactive design
  • A blog launched this year to tell stories about the Pont du Gard bridge
  • A new online ticketing service to sell the various tickets and events
  • A site dedicated to seminars and conferences a mobile video guide application in 8 languages
  • Presence on social networks
  • Our new free application, implemented using eBeacon technology, is the newest innovation from Pont du Gard.

Describe the innovation - what did you do and how did you do it? Who was involved? Who was responsible? Who is managing this now?

With our digital agency Pic15, we decided to adapt the Beacon technology developed by Apple in 2017 to create a route based app that visitors could follow around the site.
This technology is often used in shops to create shopper routes and send personalized promotions. Visitors download the app, activate the Bluetooth function on the phone and accept notifications. The route follows a journey of about 2 km each way (4 km return), taking approximately an hour and a half to walk. 30 beacons have been installed, which send notifications within a 30-metre radius.

When the smartphone vibrates, a text trigger appears on the screen. The visitor is invited to open it and has access to information about the site. Visitors can use the GPS feature on the help to know their location along the route and view all relevant points of interest, together with an itinerary function to find their way easily.

Using the application, visitors can discover many key features of the site including museographic areas, the open-air exhibition 'Mémoires de Garrigue' and the monument with its history and vestiges. Additionally, when using the app visitors discover other curiosities such as the 1000 year-old olive trees, the prehistoric cave, the Roman quarries and many viewpoints and photo opportunities.

The app is also valuable as it allows us to analyse our visitors at it provides data about the number of users, their origin, profile and behaviours.

A panoramic view of the site du Pont du Gard – © AurelioRodriguez
A panoramic view of the site du Pont du Gard – © AurelioRodriguez

What was the result? What impacts have you achieved? What changes have taken place? Are they all positive? Were there negative impacts resulting from this?

Our initial data from the app has shown that we have had nearly 5000 users during the summer, 65% were from France and 55% were aged between 18 and 35 years. While using the app, visitors consulted more than 10 screens on average and used it for an average of 15 minutes.

To support our projects we are also doing the following:

  • Installing free WiFi to encourage visitors to download the app, especially the international visitors
  • Extending the connected route and developing guided tours
  • Developing integrated quizzes and game mechanics
  • The project required almost 18 months for development and included different test phases, with a total budget of €18,000 and the Beacon technology costs about €30 per unit.
  • We launched the beta version this summer (2017) and the results are rather encouraging. Other projects including free wifi, course extension and games are still in progress.

What did you learn and what would you recommend to others if they wanted to replicate this innovation?

Between the start of the project and its launch, tag templates for Bluetooth have evolved, requiring updates. Some of the outer beacons were damaged and had to be replaced. This requires constant monitoring of the functioning of the tags and their ability to transmit for Bluetooth. It is therefore necessary to anticipate some maintenance costs.

On the other hand, the operation is flexible as we have access to staff that can modify the content of the tags. It is also easy to extend the course and add new tags.

Contacts and useful links:

Pont du Gard website
AUDREY KOESSLER
Directrice Adjointe Presse, Communication et Relations Extérieures
La Bégude
400 route du Pont du Gard
30210 Vers Pont du Gard
T. (+33) (0) 4 66 37 50 22
F. (+33) (0) 4 66 37 51 54


Tarragona and the Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco, Spain

Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco - Imageen (Augmented reality)

© GooglePlay App website
© GooglePlay App website

What led you to initiate this innovation? Why was it needed? What was happening at the site that motivated you to develop and implement this innovation?

Tarragona is a beautiful town, but, below its appearance visitors can discover another world, an amazing city under the medieval buildings and the most important roman capital outside the Italic peninsula in the 2nd century CE.

It has been difficult to showcase the grandiosity of this to visitors, and this tool allows us to give them an idea of the power of the city almost two thousand years ago.

Describe the innovation - what did you do and how did you do it? Who was involved? Who was responsible? Who is managing this now?

The Imageen tool is available in four languages and is very user friendly. Visitors can see how sites might have looked two thousand years ago, with a very high rigorousness and spectacular technology. You have at your disposal:

  • A three/sixty degrees slider, where with a finger you can see the current image and the same place in II century
  • A general technical description
  • A virtual guide

Currently Imageen can be used at The Circus (in the current Town Hall Square), The Amphitheatre, The Local Forum and The Augustus Temple (in the current Cathedral), with new emblematic places to follow soon.

Our objective was to show our visitors the hidden secrets of Tarragona, we wanted to provide them with a complete experience, not only to show them a very beautiful city, but an incredible roman capital under the current buildings, with an incredible history. We want to open a window to the past.

The municipality was involved in the project and it is still responsible for its development and promotion.

What was the result? What impacts have you achieved? What changes have taken place? Are they all positive? Were there negative impacts resulting from this?

Visitor research shows that the Imageen project has increased guest satisfaction through a deeper understanding of our history and hidden secrets.

What did you learn and what would you recommend to others if they wanted to replicate this innovation?

The technology helps us to spread and promote our heritage, as well as to understand our history in a more innovative way.

Contacts and useful links:

Ángel Arenas - Email
Joana Conesa - Email
You can download the tool in the app store or google play looking for: imageen tarragona.
Imageen reliving Tarraco
Imageen VR


Champagne hillsides, Houses and Cellars, France

Augmented Reality app

What led you to initiate this innovation? Why was it needed? What was happening at the site that motivated you to develop and implement this innovation?

Sustainable tourism is at the heart of the conservation strategy for the Champagne site. In this context, all the players are supported by the Champagne Mission to develop a qualitative and sustainable offer. This innovation is a very good example of sustainable tourism developed on our site: a free application of augmented reality on the avenue de Champagne in Epernay.

There were a number of challenges we were facing that led us to launch our innovation. These included the fragility of the underground environment, security constraints, the saturation of services visiting champagne houses, the difficulty for visitors to find an open wine cellar, the lack of interpretation at the heritage complex and the need for greater interpretation of the Avenue de Champagne beyond its commercial offering.

Describe the innovation - what did you do and how did you do it? Who was involved? Was responsible? Who manages this now?

In June 2017 we developed a tablet and smartphone app called 'Avenue de Champagne', to enable visitors to discover this beautiful avenue and it's underground. The app is user friendly and allows visitors to imagine themselves in the buildings and gardens of the famous champagne houses.

Developed by a start-up company, this program uses augmented reality. Guided by a virtual character tourists embark upon a playful and authentic discovery of the heritage history of the families of Champagne and the development of the sector during the Industrial Revolution.

Using the app on their smart device, the visitor can hold their device in front of the site marked by the "ac" logo, at various points along the avenue, including: the Town Hall garden, the hotel Orangerie Moët & Chandon, the Perrier Castle, the Stéphane-Hessel High School and the Place de Champagne. At these points of interest, the app launches a short explanatory video, which lasts between 1.30 and 2.30 minutes. The program development took nearly a year and a half to complete and cost the City of Epernay an investment of €90,000.

© GooglePlay App website
© GooglePlay App website

What was the result? What impact have you had? What changes have taken place? Are they all positive? Have negative impacts been caused?

It is still too early to evaluate the success of the project as there have only been 100 downloads thus far. We believe that this type of innovation will appeal to young people. This app enables a new way of discovering heritage. Visitors appreciate this service as it is free and enables them to gain easy access information about the Champagne houses.

What did you learn and what would you recommend to others if they wanted to replicate this innovation?

This type of innovation engages the visitor and enables them to discover heritage on demand. It presents history in a modern context, bringing heritage to life in the present century.

There are significant costs involved in developing this type of application. It is possible to add new locations after launching the app, and this can help in offsetting the costs.
It is important to depict reality and showcase heritage in an authentic way. Don't fall into the trap of presenting a romanticized version of the past.

Contacts and useful links:
Amandine Crepin - Email
App link here.


Royal Palace at Caserta with the Park, Italy

Why Reggia? Because the 18th Century Royal Palace and Park at Caserta, in Italy is commonly called Reggia of Caserta (Reggia is the Italian for Royal Palace).

©  http://www.fondazionefs.it/content/fondazione/it/it/treni-storici/archivio/2018/1/14/reggia-express.html
© http://www.fondazionefs.it/content/fondazione/it/it/treni-storici/archivio/2018/1/14/reggia-express.html

What led you to initiate this innovation? Why was it needed? What was happening at the site that motivated you to develop and implement this innovation?

This innovation aims to offer visitors a unique experience that celebrates Caserta's cultural heritage along with its food and wine heritage. It capitalises on the already high tourists flows to Naples and the nearby cultural attractions, such as the archaeological site of Pompeii. Both Caserta and Pompeii welcome approximately 3 million visitors per year.

Initiating a transport innovation that encourages visitors to use public transport also helps to minimize the environmental impact of tourism.

Describe the innovation - what did you do and how did you do it? Who was involved? Who was responsible? Who is managing this now?

The innovation is a dedicated service with a historic train, running every second Sunday of the month, from Naples Central Station directly to the Royal Palace (Raggia) of Caserta, complemented with a new line of CitySightSeeing Bus from Naples Port to Reggia, for cruise ship visitors captures a range of visitors in Naples.

This historical train ride features actors in costume, illustrating the history of the World Heritage site and the Bourbon dynasties of Spain. The trip includes priority access, free audio guides, a gadget package (jute canvas bag with official merchandising) integrated programming for guest reception and entertainment including historical re-enactments, concerts and theatrical plays. Guests on board can also try local products including Buffalo Mozzarella cheese DOP [protected designation of origin], Pizza (agreement with the category associations) and wines from local wineries.

The project was developed in partnership with the Fondazione Ferrovie dello Stato (State Railways Foundation), and in collaboration with additional services such as Opera Laboratori Fiorentini, didactic, Colonnese Library, bookshops and the head of the Valorization and Marketing Area of the Royal Palace of Caserta.

What was the result? What impacts have you achieved? What changes have taken place? Are they all positive? Were there negative impacts resulting from this?

By offering an affordable yet exclusive service, we can combine education with entertainment - which has led to an increase in customer satisfaction.

Despite the project being developed as an experiment it was so successful that it has become a fixed event that is consistently sold out. Due to the high demand, the original three carriage train has been extended to four carriages.

There are over 300 people per trip, over the six services, running from January to September, making nearly 2,000 visitors.

The negative impact of the Reggia train is that the non-royal express guests do not enjoy the same tour experience.

What did you learn and what would you recommend to others if they wanted to replicate this innovation?

With the museum facilitating the whole visitor experience, the experience extends beyond the arrival at the World Heritage site. This creates a more holistic experience and ensures that the journey is just as important as the actual experience at the World Heritage site.

Ciao, I am Daniele Napolitano, PhD in Museology at the Department of Letters and Cultural Heritage of the University of Campania. I am the assistant to the Director of the Royal Palace of Caserta Mr. Mauro Felicori, I collaborate with Didactics and Marketing Area. I work on cultural programming, event management and contemporary art exhibitions. I am the content manager for the Royal Palace of Caserta in the UNESCO project.

Contacts and useful links:
More information (Italian only)
Daniele Napolitano - Email

© Reggia di Caserta
© Reggia di Caserta


Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus, Greece

The Epidaurus Festival

What led you to initiate this innovation? Why was it needed? What was happening at the site that motivated you to develop and implement this innovation?

The ancient theatre of Epidaurus was discovered during the first systematic excavation of the Asclepius sanctuary in 1881 and since then, has attracted the attention and admiration of all visitors. The site's good state of preservation led to the decision to allow its re-use for hosting events which are consistent with its character and cultural significance. This decision also satisfied the demands of local community members and central authorities to use the ancient facilities for cultural and commercial purposes. In 1907 repairs were made to the western aisle and retaining wall. In 1938, for the first time since antiquity the ancient drama, Sophocles' 'Electra' was performed in Epidaurus Theatre. Restoration work and performances were stopped with the outbreak of World War II, yet resumed quickly afterward, focusing on making the monument safe and suitable for performances. Since 1954 annual performances of ancient dramas have taken place as part of an international event called "Epidavria" and later renamed to "Epidaurus Festival".

Describe the innovation - what did you do and how did you do it? Who was involved? Who was responsible? Who is managing this now?

For the next 20 years, the theatre exclusively used by the National Theatre for performances of ancient Greek drama plays in the classical style. Performances by Maria Callas at the ancient theatre in 1960 and 1961 brought a refreshing wind of change which was warmly welcomed by the audience. Since 1975, the Theatre opened its doors to various Greek innovative theatrical groups to express themselves.

A turning point for the Festival performances and their appeal to the audience came in the mid-2000s, when the decision was made to include modern classical plays by writers such as Shakespeare and Becket, by Greek or international production companies and casting of famous actors. However, the main objective remained to host ancient drama performances, fulfilling the ultimate goal of sharing ancient Greek culture and arts. In 2017, a new, innovative initiative was launched, called "The Lyceum of Epidaurus in the area surrounding the archaeological site. This initiative aims to teach ancient drama to new actors and students of dramatic schools from all over the world.

The planning and organization of the festival events fall within the competence of the legal entity "Hellenic Festival SA". The supervision of all activities including their approval are under the jurisdiction of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, which is responsible for the protection and preservation of the monument and for the dissemination of its values.

From its inception, the Ministry of Culture and Sports took actions to ensure that all appropriate procedures and measures are implemented to secure the monument and the safety of the visitors. Major restoration works were undertaking in 1954-1963, 1988-1999 and 2000-2008, while a constant effort is made to construct and preserve the necessary installations and infrastructure to accommodate the thousands of audience members for performances.

What was the result? What impacts have you achieved? What changes have taken place? Are they all positive? Were there negative impacts resulting from this?

The outcome of Establishing and preserving the Epidaurus Festival has been successful in many ways. Throughout the years, the festival has gained great popularity on a national and international level and the public has embraced this annual event as the flagship for artistic events in Greece.

Over time, the state has recognized the need to spread and promote the cultural values of the ancient theatre of Epidaurus. It now includes new categories of theatrical performances and accepts international productions with the participation of renowned artists, meanwhile, retaining the essential element of ancient drama as an integral part of the institution. With its supervision, all performances meet the required quality standards and they appeal to a wider international audience. There has been a significant increase in visitors, who are given the opportunity to completely understand and appreciate the values of the monument. A particular focus has been placed on young and foreign-language audience members. This has inevitably led to a positive impact on the local community.
It is important to consider the danger of reckless use or misuse of the World Heritage site. For example, hosting more performances than the monument can withstand or presenting performances that are inconsistent with the historical and cultural value. For this reason, specific procedures have been implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Sports for the approval of the annual events. Furthermore a thorough inspection of the stage constructions and installations is carried out in order to avoid any damage to the fragile remains of the ancient scenery. Compliance to the guidelines and instructions set by the Ministry of Culture is also controlled by its experienced employees who are always present during the events.

What did you learn and what would you recommend to others if they wanted to replicate this innovation?

This initiative and the task of updating its content has been a very positive step for Epidaurus, with benefits to both the development and expansion of related cultural events. Since the festival began, other venues have also sought to host events, including the Odeon Lycabettus Theatre and the Stoa of Attalos in Athens.

The re-use of ancient monuments, particularly theatres, for modern activities is a demanding and difficult task. However, it is possible and definitely worthwhile to adhere to the necessary precautions in order to incorporate those spectacular monuments into modern life, celebrating the important role they play in cultural diversity in addition to economic development. Theatre re-use not only serves conservation but also raises public awareness, yet not all theatres can be reused.

It is important to generate a strategy for preserving and using theatre in accordance with their cultural value, their interpretation and their capacity.

Contacts and useful links:
Dr. Elena Kountouri, Head of the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture

About Athens and Epidaurus Festival (Legal Name: Hellenic Festival S.A.)
T. +30 210 9282900
F. +30 210 9282941