The project responds to a common challenge of the area, namely the cultural and historical heritage of the cross-border region is not capitalized to its potential value in sustainable cross-border tourism. The cross-border area regions are focused on the development of maritime tourism by neglecting the development and prioritization of alternative tourism such as the cultural and historical tourism.

On the other hand, seasonality is a major problem in the tourism industry in both countries, causing low returns on investment, overuse and underuse of facilities in high and low season respectively, as well as seasonal employment of staff and high unemployment subsidizes during the unemployment season.

Finally, there is lack of an integrated marketing strategy to increase regional competitiveness as a common tourism product. Promotion remains outdated and there is urgent need for common action to upgrade online marketing.

The overall objective of the project is: “Promoting the Region as a unique destination for cultural Experience and historical tourism” in line with the overall aim of Interreg IPA II CBC program Greece – Albania 2014-2020 which emphasizes the cooperation among local population & regional institutions through encouraging tourism and cultural heritage.

Cultural heritage & historical tourism development implies the use of traditional sources generating income, diversify local products, target broader tourism markets, increase visibility of CBC region & extend season.

To reach this purpose, specific objectives of the project will be:

• Improve the connectivity of cultural and historical heritage sites

• Enhance the skills of local travel stakeholders

• Improve the potential of tourism offer & product diversification

• Reach out & attract potential tourism markets mainly China

• Create new branded touristic products

• Understand Local CBC Tourism Market dynamics

• Link CBC Travel Agents with mainly Chinese Travel agents

• Promote synergies & dialogue with other CBC Projects

Under the Interreg IPA CBC Programme "Greece - Albania 2014-2020," InnoTomia was appointed as the specialized external expert for the "GRALB Experience Tourism" (GET) project. In this role, we deployed a highly skilled, cross-functional team to execute complex technical, digital, and coordination deliverables aimed at boosting experiential tourism across the cross-border region.

Our expert contributions and contractual deliverables included:

• Pioneering Digital Tourism & Mobile App Development: Innoomia spearheaded the digital infrastructure of the project by collecting critical data from various Points of Interest (POIs) to create a robust online database. Leveraging this data, we developed a custom mobile application that empowers tourists to curate and build their own personalized historical and tourist routes. Additionally, we provided expert technical support to the Chamber of Thesprotia to seamlessly integrate these web and mobile applications into regional digital Info Kiosks.  
• B2B Networking & High-Level Event Management: We organized and executed key business-to-business events, including a dedicated B2B Forum in Ioannina and an interactive stakeholder Round Table discussion. Innotomia also provided critical cross-border dissemination support by participating in major publicity events and B2B forums across Vlora, Igoumenitsa, Ioannina, and Saranda.  
• Educational Workshop Supervision: Ensuring high VET standards, Innotomia supervised the delivery of specialized educational training workshops (implemented both in-person and online) designed to upskill local tourism professionals.  
• Strategic Stakeholder Engagement: In close cooperation with the Chamber of Thesprotia, we coordinated and structured targeted familiarization (Fam) meetings to connect travel agency owners, hospitality leaders, and regional tourism stakeholders with the project's outputs.  
• Securing Long-Term Sustainability (MoU): To guarantee the project's enduring impact, Innotomia drafted a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This strategic agreement fosters ongoing cross-border cooperation between Greek and Albanian stakeholders for the continuous development and preservation of regional tourist and historical trails.  

🗺️ Connecting Culture, Tech, and Cross-Border Tourism

As an external expert, Innotomia successfully bridged the gap between advanced digital engineering and regional tourism development. By delivering a functional mobile routing app, coordinating high-impact stakeholder forums, and securing a long-term cross-border MoU, we ensured that the GET project achieved maximum visibility, technical excellence, and regional sustainability.  

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