TExTOUR · Project

Data-Driven Platform Helping Lesser-Known Regions Grow Cultural Tourism Revenue

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Imagine you run a beautiful but overlooked region — amazing heritage, great food, local traditions — but tourists keep flocking to the same famous cities instead. TExTOUR set up real-world testing labs in 8 such places across Europe and beyond, bringing together local businesses, governments, and communities to co-create tourism strategies that actually work. They built a tech platform that analyzes which tourism policies deliver results and which don't, so regions stop guessing and start making data-backed decisions. Think of it as a GPS for cultural tourism development — it shows you where you are, where you should go, and tracks whether you're getting there.

By the numbers

37%

Share of cultural tourism in total tourism sector

15%

Annual growth rate of cultural tourism

Cultural tourism pilot sites tested

Partners in the consortium

Countries represented

Total project deliverables

EUR 3,816,125

EU contribution to the project

The business problem

What needed solving

Regions with rich cultural heritage but low tourism visibility lose billions in potential revenue because they lack data-driven strategies and the tools to measure what works. Most tourism planning relies on intuition rather than evidence, leading to scattered investments with unclear returns. Meanwhile, cultural tourism — representing 37% of the total tourism sector — keeps growing at 15% annually, but the benefits flow disproportionately to already-famous destinations.

The solution

What was built

TExTOUR built a technological platform providing data analytics as a service for assessing cultural tourism policies and strategies, including a catalogue of validated approaches and content curation tools. They also developed and tested collaborative work methodologies through 8 Cultural Tourism Labs, produced monitoring reports documenting implementation results across all pilot sites, and created a modular, scalable EU Action Plan for Cultural Tourism Development.

Audience

Who needs this

Regional and national tourism boards seeking evidence-based destination development strategiesDestination management organizations in lesser-known cultural regionsGovTech companies building analytics tools for public sector tourism planningHotel chains and tour operators expanding into secondary destinationsCultural heritage foundations and site managers looking to increase visitor engagement

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Tourism & Destination Management

any

Target: Regional tourism boards and destination management organizations

If you are a regional tourism authority struggling to attract visitors beyond your capital city — this project developed collaborative methodologies and a data analytics platform tested across 8 pilot regions in 11 countries. The platform assesses tourism strategies and measures their real impact, helping you move from guesswork to evidence-based planning. Cultural tourism represents about 37% of the total tourism sector with 15% annual growth, and TExTOUR's tools help you capture your share.

Hospitality & Experience Economy

SME

Target: Hotel chains, tour operators, and experience providers in secondary destinations

If you are a hospitality business in a lesser-known area competing against major tourist hotspots — this project created a catalogue of validated cultural tourism strategies and content curation processes. The 8 pilot labs brought together local businesses, cultural institutions, and communities to design tourism offerings that drive real visitor engagement. The modular EU Action Plan produced by the project provides a replicable playbook you can adapt to your destination.

GovTech & Smart City Solutions

mid-size

Target: Technology companies building tools for public sector tourism planning

If you are a tech company developing analytics solutions for regional governments — TExTOUR built and tested a technological platform that provides data analytics as a service for assessing cultural tourism policies. With 18 partners across 11 countries validating the approach, the platform includes strategy assessment, content curation, and impact measurement capabilities. This is a proven concept you could license, white-label, or build upon for your own smart destination products.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this platform cost to implement for a region?

The project operated with EUR 3,816,125 in EU funding across 18 partners and 8 pilot sites. Based on available project data, per-site implementation costs are not broken out, but the modular and scalable design of the EU Action Plan suggests adaptable deployment at varying budget levels. Contact the coordinator for licensing or implementation pricing.

Can this scale beyond the 8 pilot regions?

Yes — the project explicitly designed a modular and scalable EU Action Plan for Cultural Tourism Development. The methodology was validated across 8 pilots in 11 countries covering diverse contexts (EU and non-EU including Lebanon, Ukraine, Bosnia). This geographic diversity demonstrates the approach works across very different cultural, economic, and regulatory environments.

Who owns the IP — can we license the platform or methodology?

The coordinator is Fundacion Santa Maria La Real del Patrimonio Historico, a Spanish SME. The consortium includes 3 industry partners and 4 SMEs total, suggesting commercial exploitation was part of the plan. Based on available project data, specific licensing terms would need to be discussed with the coordinator directly.

Is the data analytics platform still operational after the project ended?

The project closed in September 2024. The platform was designed to provide data analytics as a service with a catalogue of relevant services. Based on available project data, the project website (textour-project.eu) would indicate current operational status. Sustainability beyond funding is a common question for EU projects — the coordinator can clarify ongoing availability.

What kind of data does the platform analyze?

The platform assesses cultural tourism policies and strategies from both public and private actors. It provides data analytics as a service, a catalogue of assessed CT strategies, content curation and validation processes, and impact measurement of implemented practices. The monitoring program tracked actions performed, actors involved, barriers overcome, and results achieved across pilot sites.

Does this comply with EU tourism and cultural heritage regulations?

The project was funded under the EU's Horizon 2020 TRANSFORMATIONS call, specifically addressing sustainable growth through participative cultural tourism. The resulting EU Action Plan for Cultural Tourism Development was designed to align with EU policy directions. The consortium included 6 research organizations ensuring scientific rigor in the methodology.

How long does it take to see results from implementing these strategies?

Based on the pilot monitoring reports, results were collected over a 24-month implementation period. Each pilot site set up community labs, implemented tailored strategies, and measured outcomes within this timeframe. The modular design means regions can start with individual components and scale up based on early results.

Consortium

Who built it

The TExTOUR consortium brings together 18 partners from 11 countries, with a notable geographic spread that includes both EU members and non-EU countries (Bosnia, Lebanon, Ukraine). The mix leans heavily toward research (6 organizations) and other entities like NGOs and public bodies (7), with only 3 industry partners and 2 universities — giving it a 17% industry ratio. Of the 18 partners, 4 are SMEs. The coordinator is a Spanish SME foundation specializing in heritage, which suggests practical orientation. For a business buyer, this consortium profile means the outputs were designed with public sector and community needs in mind rather than pure commercial exploitation, but the inclusion of industry partners and the Innovation Action funding type indicate the tools were built for real-world use, not just academic papers.

FUNDACION SANTA MARIA LA REAL DEL PATRIMONIO HISTORICOCoordinator · ES
FONDAZIONE ICONSparticipant · IT
INSTYTUT EKOLOGII TERENOW UPRZEMYSLOWIONYCHparticipant · PL
UNIONE REGIONALE DELLE CAMERE DI COMMERCIO, INDUSTRIA, ARTIGIANATO E AGRICOLTURA DELLA LOMBARDIAparticipant · IT
TECHNOLOGIKO PANEPISTIMIO KYPROUparticipant · CY
VAROSKUTATAS (METROPOLITAN RESEARCHINSTITUTE) KFTparticipant · HU
UNINOVA-INSTITUTO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DE NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS-ASSOCIACAOparticipant · PT
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNAparticipant · IT
FUNDACION CARTIFparticipant · ES
FONDAZIONE LINKS - LEADING INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE FOR SOCIETYparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Fundacion Santa Maria La Real del Patrimonio Historico (Spain) — a heritage-focused SME that coordinated the project. Reach out via the project website or foundation's main contact page.

Order a report on this consortium See FUNDACION SANTA MARIA LA REAL DEL PATRIMONIO HISTORICO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how TExTOUR's cultural tourism platform and methodology could work for your region or destination? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the project team and help you assess fit. Contact us for a free one-page brief.

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