The CulTourData final conference is not only about the right websites, tools or applications. It is about developing the territory from a tourism perspective through a solid data-driven approach.
In a world where data is the beating heart of progress, the project invites to explore the central role of incorporating data and analytics in tourism business strategies and in urban and regional development. The final conference is an opportunity to understand how this dynamic change can propel the organisation to new levels of competitiveness, sustainability and appeal.
But it is also an opportunity to create connections between tourist destinations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). CulTourData specifically addresses the European Capitals of Culture, extending the impact of the event over a decade, from the initial bid to a lasting legacy.
An important circumstance in a world where data reigns supreme, collaboration is key and innovation is the currency. An opportunity to shape the future of European cultural tourism, where every connection and insight contributes to a lasting legacy.

Here is the conference programme.

What's CulTourData
The project targets tourism SMEs in the European Capitals of Culture and supports them to:
Develop a data-driven approach beyond the right website, tool or application, helping them grasp the importance of making data and analytics part of the tourism business strategies, offers and products, of their organizational processes and culture, if they want to be competitive, sustainable and attractive;
Build the link between tourism destinations and tourism SMEs; the project focus on European Capitals of Culture and stretches the year event over a long- lasting period – from about ten years before the bid to a very long legacy – and actively involves tourism SMEs in the co-creation of the event, so as to spur sustainable tourism and sustainable development;
Create a multidisciplinary business approach that leverages synergies between tourism, culture, creativity and digital technology;
Experience a challenging funnel-like support scheme that includes capacity building, mentoring and learning, along with a collaborative creativity-oriented matchmaking, other than opportunities for financial support;
Immerse themselves into a fun, evidence-based assessment process that combines communication, impact evaluation and self-assessment.

Actions
CulTourData will build on the TraCEs – Cultour is Capital action (COSME Programme, 2018-2020) by strengthening the arrangement of a multidisciplinary ecosystem involving players in tourism, CC and digital fields. The project will enhance data-driven, accessible and transformative cultural tourism across Europe by organizing a two-fold support scheme that targets both tourism SMEs and European Capitals of Culture. It is articulated in:

ECoC-led Ecosystem – Supporting cooperation, capacity building and knowledge transfer among ECoCs (past, present and upcoming)

ECoCs Watch – Boosting and learning how to create a data-driven culture among ECoCs, especially future Capitals, by organizing a system of market intelligence that will help collect and analyze, then provide open access to, a broad amount of information, data, analysis, best practices and lessons learned, enhancing skills and strategies when these using data for tourism development and working at ECoCs’ legacy

Transformative Bootcamp – Building on information and insights from the EcoC Watch to improve the business environment for tourism SMEs. They will be empowered to get and learn why and how to be a data- driven market player through: an inspirational mentoring approach set between digitally advanced SMEs and those lagging behind in the digital transformation process; a virtual programme helping them explore and learn data-driven approaches that they could usefully apply in their own context; a pattern of Collaborative Matchmaking that will help tourism SMEs move through their digital transformation, supporting them to be more sustainable and provide travellers with more personalised offers and experiences.
Each tourism SME will be matched with a) a cultural and creative SME or professional and b) a player active in the field of ICT/digital technology, including data analysts and strategists, that will help the tourism SME develop and/or improve viable and sustainable tourism business models and strategies, including rethinking decision-making and organisational processes, and develop new products and services more accessible and provided with higher value added.

ECoCs Policy Lab – Stimulating active participation in cultural and tourism policy making at local and regional level by leading the diverse audiences (public authorities, businesses, associations and NGOs, foundations and communities) closer to data collected through the ECoCs Watch. The initiative is expected to evolve into a plurality of territorial approaches to policy trial and experimentation, each ECoC supported to design its own path to link policies to programmes to funding opportunities.
Evidence-based creative Communication and Dissemination – Creating a link between communication and impact evaluation, involving SMEs in the creation of videos and pieces of stories that will feed project storytelling, and will emphasize how empowerment, learning and capacity building unfold through the project activities.