Torino answered to a call of the Italian Ministry of Tourism to fund Italian UNESCO Creative Cities which present a project to enhance the touristic side of their creative field.
So Torino, the unique design creative city in Italy, presented a project idea: TORINO. DIRE FARE VEDERE DESIGN. A creative UNESCO city.
(the title echoes a nursery rhyme… in English could be Torino: to tell, to make, to see design).
This project has innovative elements, crossing the design methodology, as co-design of processes, with the most innovative tools of tourist promotion.
Our goals: we wish to create with tourists a greater involvement through specific proposals and “exclusive” experiences. An essential element is the network of citizens and bodies to share “unknown gems” of Torino.
Our target: design represents a basin that collects the interest of two population segments: under 35 (school tourism, youngs, professionals) and over 60 (individual tourists, senior tours), both with a marked international vocation and cultural, environmental, economic and social awareness.
Our methodology: it’s a co-design project. We use design to involve local and international actors and, with their input, plan processes and services.
Our partners: two main partners, Turismo Torino and Provincia and Urban Lab, and we also will benefit from the members of Torino Design Advisory Board, design educational institutes, businesses associations etc.
Three key actions:
1. engage citizens, especially students, in order to be aware of being a UNESCO Creative City of design and become Ambassadors and guides of their own city (workshops and summer school planned).
2. map out the design in Torino, to have a useful tool to plan promotion initiatives towards different segments of tourists.
3. customized tourist promotion for tourists who like to get involved in a city that loves to involve them.
Budget: 304.399,71 euros in three years
Main actions: budgeted cost
a) know and promote (digital infrastructure) 55.399,71 €
b) workshops and summer school 60.000,00 €
c) re-discover design in Torino 10.000,00 €
d) tourism promotion and marketing 75.000,00 €
e) press trip and workshops 64.000,00 €
to tour operator and specialist press,
influencer marketing campaigns
f) event: UNESCO heritage day in Piedmont 10.000,00 €
Time frames
2022
spring: call of Italian Ministry of Tourism
summer: project idea
autumn: project launch event to bodies and institution and feedback
2023
winter: executive project
spring: map out the design in Torino
website launch (according to call requests, it will be connected with
national tourist website)
dedicated communication tools (promotional and educational videos,
augmented reality and gamification app…)
workshops and summer school for high schools and universities students
summer: design of tourist itineraries led by trained tour guides and student
design of tourist services and opportunities (including tours guided and design experiences with local designers) and their promotion (in international tourism fairs and through the 26 Torino national and international networks and the 36 twin cities)
autumn: press trips and workshops for tour operator and specialist
press events: design weeks, UNESCO heritage day in Piedmont
2024
winter: check the work done in the first year and and design any changes
spring: workshops and summer school for high schools and universities students
tourist promotion in national and international contexts
spread of dedicated communication tools
welcome and hospitality of design tourists
summer: welcome and hospitality of design tourists
carry out of tourist itineraries
autumn: welcome and hospitality of design tourists
events: design weeks, UNESCO heritage day in Piedmont,
10th year anniversary Torino COD
2025
winter: monitoring of achieved goals design future actions
In short, through the conception of new, sustainable and accessible tourist itineraries, involving the design actors and a communication plan with innovative digital tools, we want Torino to become an even more interesting destination.
So our project aims to improve the quality of the experience and to increase the awareness and the knowledge also in citizens, especially the younger ones, with a process that continues over the years feeding itself.