The digitalization of heritage in the service of tourism innovation

Technology, artificial intelligence, new economy: driven by technological advancements and the changing expectations of travelers, the tourism industry is constantly evolving. How is this sector reinventing itself with digitalization?

For several decades, tourism, like many other sectors, has faced the arrival of new digital technologies and must integrate them into its strategy in an innovative and intelligent way. It is about adapting to customer expectations in terms of technology but above all responding to the trend for a more experiential, more local, more authentic and more ecological stay.

The arrival of the pandemic accelerated this process. Indeed, according to apolitical, since the pandemic, most investments in tourism have been directed towards digital and technological solutions: foreign direct investments in tourism software increased by 41,9% in 2021 from a year earlier. In addition, this strategy responds to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to la tribune.

In this article, we will explore two facets of innovation in tourism and examine how they are redefining the modern tourism experience. These are e-tourism and the digitalization of heritage.

e-Tourism at the service of the traveler

E-tourism, or electronic tourism, has emerged following the adoption of technology by travelers and the tourism industry. It helps to completely redefine the travel experience. It encompasses services and tools that simplify and enhance the entire travel experience, from planning and booking to exploring and sharing experiences. Travelers can research and book online, use travel applications, social networks and connected tools. It has the advantage of making information quickly accessible to travelers and being able to personalize experiences at all times by choosing itineraries, accommodation and activities linked to their interests. It also saves time and money. Today, e-tourism has become a norm, so what innovations can new technologies bring to the tourism sector?

The potential of digital innovations to reinvent the tourism of tomorrow

According to the report from the General Directorate of Enterprises, innovation in tourism is above all digital (80%) and focused on the user experience. Emerging trends include:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is used to personalize travel recommendations, improve tourism flow management and provide more advanced virtual experiences.

2.Augmented reality (AR) & virtual reality (VR): Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies make it possible to improve the experience of travelers by discovering places and tourist sites in a more immersive and interactive way with new sensations. Very recently in 2024, the exhibition “ Eternal Our Lady » a real journey through time retracing the construction of the cathedral. This type of promotion, however, remains reserved for exceptional places.

3.Digitization of tangible and intangible heritage: The digitalization of tangible and intangible heritage, such as the history of buildings, natural curiosities, traditions (traditional music and oral traditions) is also gaining momentum. This last point deserves a little development because it is precisely the axis that we developed with Genius Loci.

In Europe only 517 sites are registered with the UNESCO list, they concentrate the valorization systems and sometimes, unfortunately the overtourism. By Genius Loci we wanted to create a modern, sustainable and participatory tool in order to promote the 200 other villages or localities which struggle to highlight their attractions.

The Digitalization of Tangible and Intangible Heritage: a new cultural dimension

The digitalization of heritage consists of digitizing cultural and historical elements, whether tangible goods (monuments, museums, built heritage, etc.) or intangible goods (traditions, history, etc.), then making them accessible to the public online. This opens up new possibilities for the preservation, dissemination and exploration of cultural heritage. This may involve making heritage accessible remotely for example with virtual visits from home to Museums.

There are still a number of challenges such as digitization costs, data reliability and quality, copyright protection and the fact that not everyone has equal access to technologies which creates a certain inequality. However, it allows us to digitally preserve elements of heritage which can reduce wear and tear due to physical exposure or become lost because the memories of our ancestors are lost.

A growing need for data

More than ever, we live in the age of big data.
Collecting qualitative data has become crucial for tourism organizations.

This qualitative and quantitative data makes it possible to analyze visitor flows and infrastructure needs, but also to improve the comfort and experience of travelers.

9 years ago when we had the idea of Genius Loci, it seemed impossible to be able to deploy digital experiences in the wilderness, but as technology evolves, it has now become normal to receive 5G even deep in the woods.

Connected medals Genius Loci respond to the need for digitization of heritage and the trend of offering local, social and sustainable experiential “slow tourism”.

According to UNESCO's objectives, it is imperative to identify, digitize and publicize local heritage, even outside the most touristy regions. According to Stéphane Bern, heritage is the only factor of equality between cities and countryside, between our territories. Gold, 52% of our assets are located in municipalities with fewer than 2000 inhabitants. This is an extraordinary wealth that must be made to bear fruit., which must be highlighted, which must be protected and preserved and which can obviously help safeguard the economic development of the territories.

Connected medals Genius Loci respond to this need by promoting the hidden secrets of a region, in a sustainable and participatory way. This is tourist signage phygital: both physical and digital:

A medal", made of particularly durable stainless steel and designed for the outdoors. It is affixed to a place of interest. It has a unique QR code and allows access to the content of the location.
A digital space dedicated to the place of interest, and accessible only to visitors, on site. It is administered by local people passionate about nature, culture or history, under the supervision of communities who act as contributors and moderators.

Current functionalities make it possible to share text and image content, integrate unlimited videos and audio and know where other medals are located nearby thanks to a mode: “proximity radar”. It is possible to like and comment on the content just as it is possible to co-create the content. Any trusted person can be invited to write content on the digital interface. The goal is to involve residents who have a history rich in emotion. Ultimately, this makes it possible to create a bridge between the generation of elders who hold the knowledge and younger generations fond of new technologies.

Innovation in tourism, particularly through e-tourism and the digitalization of heritage, has transformed the way we travel, explore cultural heritage and interact with the world around us. These advances offer many opportunities for a more immersive, more local and more sustainable travel experience.

Preserve and enhance your local heritage with Genius Loci

Created for the 200 000 towns and villages of Europe, our product is both physical and digital: This is a 10 cm stainless steel medal, engraved with the name of the project and equipped with a QR Code. A simple scan reveals an exclusive digital space, revealing the secrets of the place.