The project “From Fictitious to Real hotel ideas for innovative forms of tourism – FRea” is implemented within the program Interreg IPA South Adriatic (Italy-Albania-Montenegro 2021-2027), co-founded by the European Union.
The general goal of the project is: improving the ability of developing an innovative form of tourism in the cross-border area, known as workation, characterized by economic and social effects. This form of tourism receptivity, which combines work and vacation, deserves the proper expansion in the cross-border territories, facing low knowledge of the target markets, needs of supporting tools (services) and weak networks among operators.
The Project will highlight the possibility to introduce in the reference territories (Puglia, Molise, Albania and Montenegro) an innovative form of tourism which has been experienced in some developed and touristically advanced countries, the so-called “workation”. This neologism refers to a new concept of vacation which conjugates smart-working and holiday; in other words, it represents a new model of tourism destination which is able to attract remote workers and digital nomads from all over the world.
The specific objectives of this project are:
-Strengthening the networks of cross-border operators in the segment called “workation” while increasing entrepreneurial capacity, knowledge of the target markets and support tools (services).
-The communication objective is to spread the knowledge of the strategy among various actors of the tourism receptivity sector, such as hotel and non-hotel operators.
Within this project, the following activities are being implemented:
-Organization of workshops
-Organization of the targeted trainings on tourism innovation (CBT)
-Preparation of the Joint Action plan
-Organization of B2B events
Consortium of this project:
Lead Partner – University of Salento (Unisalento)
Project partner – Sviluppo Italia Molise S.p.A. (SIMolise)
Project partner – PEOPLE IN FOCUS (PIF)
Project partner – New Horizon (NH)
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The first activity of this project “WORKATION AND NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR TOURISM” was held in the city of Lecce, in Italy, on April 18, 2024, in the university campus of the Università del Salento.
The second activity of this project was the workshop “Workation – innovative model of tourism” held in Ulcinj, Montenegro on April 24, 2024.
Training “Enhancing the ability in developing innovative forms of tourism” in Lecce was held from 13.05-17.05 in the campus of the University of Salento.
Participants from Montenegro attended targeted Training “Enhancing youth expertise in promotional campaigns of new forms of Tourism” hosted by People in Focus from May 27th to 31st, 2024 in Tirana, Albania. The training emphasized how technology revolution will create and develop new forms of tourism.
Participants from Montenegro attended targeted training in Termoli, Molise region from the 10th of June till the 14 of June. Sviluppo Italia Molise organized the training to provide adequate information to help understand the changing needs of the tourism market and develop new forms of tourism such as Workation, particularly in rural areas.
A B2B meeting entitled “Cross-border cooperation for the development of tourism services: A joint model oriented on the Workation concept” was organized in the city of Lecce. Our two representatives participated in this event with their expert presentations, together with partners from Italy and Albania.
A B2B meeting entitled “New issues for the development of tourism services: Workation in peripheral areas” was held in Campochiaro (Italy). Our representatives participated in this event, together with partners from Italy and Albania, with their expert presentations on the potential of Montenegro for the development of innovative tourism models.
In Tirana was organized a B2B meeting and roundtable titled “Shaping New Forms of Tourism: Workation in the Era of Sustainability and Digital Transformation”. Our representatives participated in this event with their presentations, along with partners from Italy and Albania.
In Ulcinj was organized a round table entitled “Transforming Tourism Models for Tomorrow’s Travellers”. Representatives of the Hoteliers Association of Montenegro, the Municipality of Ulcinj, the Ulcinj Tourist Organization, public institutions, managers of hotel companies, travel agencies, operators and tourism innovators, as well as representatives of private initiatives and professional associations, discussed the advantages of the cross-border region for developing new tourism concepts.
The panelists of this roundtable revealed the tourism potentials, positive experiences, plans and strategies that would help the municipality of Ulcinj as well as the wider region in general, to increase the possibilities of attracting a new category of tourists, digital visitors – the tourists of tomorrow.
The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration of Montenegro
