IMPACTOUR introduces smart visitor management tool to Stakeholder Pilot Destinations

Toulouse, 30 November 2022

The IMPACTOUR H2020 research and innovation project gathers pilot destinations from around Europe in Toulouse this November to lift the curtain on the first demonstration of the IMPACTOUR Tool for management of visitor flows in cultural tourism destinations.

Organised by the project partner, Agence française des chemins de Compostelle, project partners and pilot sites' representatives from 26 participating organisations from Estonia to the Azores will test and discuss the trial version of this innovative tool which applies Artificial Intelligence to novel data sets that have been produced by the pilot destinations, coupled with a range of Big Data sources.

Explaining the purpose and function of the IMPACTOUR Tool, Project Coordinator, João Martins, UNINOVA said:

- "The IMPACTOUR tool embodies step-based guidance in the decision-making process that tourism destinations deal with in the selection of the most suitable development strategy for Cultural Tourism in their site. Taking into consideration the type of site (rural, urban, natural or itinerary/route), and the objectives identified for each site, the IMPACTOUR tool will present to the user a set of strategies that can be followed in order to reach the desired objectives. Once the user chooses the strategies they desire to improve the site's KPIs, the tool will present them with a set of actions that can be applied in order to improve those KPIs."

Following the stakeholder event in Toulouse, the project will conduct several rounds of user feedback and refinement of the Tool, also introducing additional data from cultural tourism sites. The European launch of the Tool is planned for mid-2023, when it will become available for managers of cultural tourism destinations.

For further information, contact the Project Coordinator at: impactour_geral@uninova.pt