New models of destination governance between creative intelligence and territorial dialogue: HERIBITS digital platform

Abstract

The complexity of territorial tourism systems is reflected today in the dynamism of the so-called “digital ecosystems”, such as hyper-connected territorial systems that require integrated government actions oriented to marketing and destination governance strategies. These planning scenarios involve a participatory vision, able to activate virtuous formulas of integrated design of spaces for tourist use, as well as some action of social dialogue and territorial animation. In order to highlight the narrative elements and the related aspects of governance of the destination, understood as a geographical area and, also, as a tourist product with high emotional content. This study investigates the field of study of spatial planning according to a cross-cutting and multi-level government vision in favour of a more effective planning in a tourism point of view. In this field of investigation, the traditional elements of the destination are integrated with the most innovative elements to support the territorial organizational management, such as, strategies for the digitalisation of material and intangible assets with high attractive value for territorial use. In light of scientific literature review, the paper also illustrates the results of a research project called HERIBITS (Heritage Best Practice Models and Crowdfunding Intelligence to enable the Culture Economy) conducted by the University of Pisa in order to create a techno-social web platform for joint use, of the local community and of the public decision-makers of the tourist system, on different territorial scale.