Prato Showcases Smart and Sustainable Industrial Tourism Solutions in IURC AA Technical Deep Dive

The third Technical Deep Dive Session under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia Community of Practice (CoP3) on Sustainable Smart Tourism brought together city representatives, experts, and project partners to exchange innovative approaches for sustainable tourism development. The session was hosted by the city of Prato, Italy, and focused on the EPIC project, which promotes industrial tourism through digital innovation, stakeholder collaboration, and sustainability-driven planning.

The session was opened by Ashish, who welcomed participants from partner cities and institutions across Asia and Europe. Paolo from Prato’s International Projects Office introduced the agenda and highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation among cities working on sustainable and smart tourism initiatives.

A key presentation was delivered by Dario from LAMA and Rosanna from Cristoforo, who presented Prato’s co-creation approach to tourism development. The EPIC project aims to position Prato as a unique industrial and cultural tourism destination by engaging local stakeholders, businesses, and citizens in designing sustainable tourism experiences. The initiative includes stakeholder interviews, citizen surveys, and the development of a destination management approachto better connect the city’s industrial heritage, culture, food traditions, and natural assets.

Valentina from the National Research Council presented the project’s sustainability monitoring framework, focusing on carbon footprint assessment, sustainable tourism indicators, and tourist behavioural analysis. The framework integrates sustainability data into a web-based platform that supports both tourists and destination managers in making informed and environmentally responsible decisions. The project team is currently refining and testing the framework through stakeholder engagement and pilot activities.

Francesco from Immersive showcased innovative “phygital” tourism experiences being developed in Prato, including VR Corners and VR Rooms that combine immersive storytelling with AI-powered conversational systems. The experiences, such as “Flyover Prato” and the “Epic Virtual Museum,” aim to offer visitors engaging digital access to the city’s industrial and cultural heritage. Discussions also explored the long-term financial sustainability of these digital installations beyond European project funding.

The session concluded with aninteractive discussion on data collection challenges, tourism identity development, and future collaboration opportunities amongCommunity of Practice members. Participants also discussed upcoming activities, including the Industrial Tourism Festival in Prato next October, study visits, and future exchanges under the IURC programme.

The technical deep dive reinforced the importance of integrating sustainability, digital innovation, and stakeholder participation in shaping resilient and attractive tourism destinations for the future.