Valli a Scoprire: Integrated Digital Tourism in the Marche Valleys for Sustainable Promotion
About this good practice
Valli a Scoprire project addresses the need to promote and offer sustainable tourism products and services in the city of Fano and in the other surrounding territories between two specific Marche Region’s valleys. Faced with seasonality and a fragmented approach to tourism, local public administrations sought a unified strategy to make their territories more appealing. The challenge involved promoting lesser-known destinations, expanding digital presence, and fostering local economic growth through enhanced tourism offerings and technological innovation. Key objectives include: 1. Strengthening regional connectivity to offer coordinated tourism information and products. 2. Facilitating widespread digitalization to improve the area's competitiveness in tourism markets. 3. Implementing a cohesive communication strategy to sustainably increase tourist numbers. Valli a Scoprire developed a Destination Management System (DMS) to centralize data and automate services; it integrates tourism resources and supports effective digital marketing, enhancing the attractiveness and accessibility of destinations.
Direct stakeholders are the economic tourism operators and private association in charge for managing the different Point of Interest and related services. The Marche Region Authority collaborates in the project thanks to its own Marche region tourism hub (https://letsmarche.it/). Beneficiaries are the 15 municipalities involved, tourists, citizens and local businesses.
Resources needed
Valli a Scoprire needs funding for the development and maintenance of the web platform and DMS considering its interoperability of data with the Digital Hub Marche (https://letsmarche.it/) and the Tourism Digital Hub (http://italia.it). In 2024 48.190,00 euros has been invested for its maintenance.
Evidence of success
Valli a Scoprire has successfully extended tourism beyond peak seasons, evidenced by increased visitor numbers year-round. The project has led to higher regional revenues, showcasing the impact of well-integrated digital promotion. By consolidating local tourism offerings, Fano and neighboring municipalities have become a preferred destination, attracting a wide range of tourists for cultural, gastronomic, and natural experiences
Potential for learning or transfer
Valli a Scoprire highlights the potential of interoperability within tourism promotion. Its Destination Management System (DMS) centralizes and automates content management, enables seamless content sharing across local, regional, and national levels. This approach provides a model for other regions to unify diverse tourism resources reaching a broader audience while preserving local identity. It is based on a formal public-private partnerships built in 2021. 15 municipalities works together on the basis of an united vision. The DMS also facilitated partnerships by connecting stakeholders through common digital resources. The use of APIs to integrate with regional (https://letsmarche.it/) and national (http://italia.it) platforms has boosted visibility, attracting both domestic and international tourists. This interoperability model can inspire other regions to leverage digital tools and interconnected platforms to promote under-explored destinations.
Further information
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.