MAPPAE project diversifies and increases the visibility of European transnational tourism offer by creating a thematic multisensory tourist and cultural Route that connects destinations related to medicinal and aromatic plants, scents and perfumes (MAPs) across six European countries: Croatia, Bosnia, Cyprus, Italy, France and Malta.
The cultivation and the use of MAPs is a time-honoured tradition and integral part of European cultural heritage that contributes to shape the landscape and sustains local economies and identities. Although the growing attention towards this sector at a European level, the potential of MAPs as a tourist attraction, as well as the engagement of senses, has not been fully developed yet.
MAPPAE project – inspired by the principles of European Cultural Routes and those of ‘slow tourism’1 and ‘experiential tourism’ conceived as a multisensory experience – develops the unexploited tourist potential of MAPs at a transnational level in order to:
- stimulate European visitors to visit MAPs related locations through cross-promotion, cross-selling and the dissemination of information on the “MAPPAE Route”
- target European and intercontinental markets, particularly China and Russia, developing transnational European tours and year round tourism flows. To reach the Chinese market MAPPAE will particularly rely on the expertise of tourism- related SME WAWU, which has been recently issued a Welcome Chinese Certification.
To achieve these goals MAPPAE is meant to create transnational tourist packages and itineraries across Europe revolving around sensory experiences and conceived as journeys of emotions to provide real and meaningful connections with people, places, culture, food, heritage, and the environment.
The consortium of MAPPAE is committed to enhance existing MAPs-related tourism and develop new transnational tourism experiences designing multisensory and cultural itineraries across Europe inspired by Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) and using digital and media tools to promote and market them.
Innovation is involved at two levels:
- The conceptualisation of the itineraries: Multisensory, slow paced, cultural, rural and sustainable, these are the key features of MAPPAE.
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The delivery of the itineraries: Digital and media tools (Web site, App and integrated video contents) created by the CCI’s involved are essential to enhance the visibility of MAPPAE’s Multisensory routes as tourist destinations and therefore increase international tourist arrivals. Heritage’s digital platforms, integrated to the media concepts create by Nasa, will enable a wide range of communication and promotion activities possible, as well as a personalisation of the experience
Digital and media tools (Web site, App and integrated video contents) created by the CCI’s involved are essential to enhance the visibility of MAPPAE’s Multisensory routes as tourist destinations and therefore increase international tourist arrivals. Heritage’s digital platforms, integrated to the media concepts create by Nasa, will enable a wide range of communication and promotion activities possible, as well as a personalisation of the experience. More specifically:
- MAPPAE Website, thanks to the expertise of Heritage, will have high quality and effective contents. Rich images, inspiring videos and fascinating stories can all give a taste of multisensory travel destinations and be the trigger that makes people decide to book a tourist experience. Heritage will make sure the content fits into the digital strategy and the purpose served at each stage of the visitor buying cycle.
- MAPPAE App (m-tourism) will integrate different level of contents to guide tourists during all stages of their multisensory travel experiences. The experimental App will integrate GPS and iBeacon technology which has recently revolutionized the rules of proximity marketing. Despite the huge potential, there still are many fields in which little use is made of this technology, particularly the world of art and tourism.
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Terre dei Savoia (TDS) > ITALY
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Heritage Srl (HER) > ITALY
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Wonderful Adventure With Us (WAWU) > FRANCE
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Troodos Network of Thematic Centers (TTC) > CYPRUS
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Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) > CYPRUS
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Miomirisni (MIO) > CROATIA
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Gharb City Council (GHAR) > MALTA
- Kadar (KAD) > BOSNIA-ERZEGOVINA
COSME Programme 2018
Call for proposals COS-TOURSYN-2018-3-01
Supporting the Development and Promotion of Transnational Thematic Tourism Products – Exploiting Synergies between Tourism and Cultural and Creative Industries