Our Mission

Established in September 2013, USI UNESCO Chair is committed to perform research and teaching on how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media in general, can be effectively used to develop and promote sustainable tourism at World Heritage Sites (WHSs). Its scope touches and overlaps on the following fields: eTourism, eLearning, and ICT4D (ICT for Development). The chair attempts to facilitate the flow of best practices among WHSs and to provide guidance on how to effectively communicate WHSs online. In June 2014, it became member of the UNITWIN-UNESCO Network “Culture, Tourism, Development” led by Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The UNITWIN Network promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work in the field of tourism and culture.

Currently at its third mandate, USI UNESCO Chair has realized several activities to fulfil its commitment: organization of Summer and Winter Schools for researchers and practitioners, massive open online courses (MOOCs), local and international research projects, social media awareness campaigns, studies on the online presence of WHSs, mobile applications development, and many others. All these activities were made possible thanks to the collaboration of colleagues and friends around the world, who joined the Chair during visiting periods or contributed to specific projects and studies.

In considering the role of ICTs to promote sustainable tourism at heritage sites, the Chair follows a conceptual tool called the ‘ABCDE framework’, which enables the mapping of such a rich field, and gives it a narrative structure. The framework is presented in the video below.