EUTROPIAN

Research & Action

FOOTPRINTS: Advancing sustainable tourism

The FOOTPRINTS project, funded by European Urban Initiative, and led by the Municipality of Ravenna, promotes sustainable tourism through collaborative governance with local communities and service providers. It fosters responsible choices via gamification, nudging, and community engagement, aiming to create inclusive, circular tourism experiences while improving Ravenna’s mobility system.
 
Key partners including Eutropian, Art-Er, Ravenna Incoming, Vista, Azimut, and Atlantide, contribute expertise in urban policies, innovation, mobility, and green tourism. Together, they enhance tourism sustainability by implementing low-carbon, circular economy, and community-based practices to reduce environmental impacts and foster positive social footprints.
 
By engaging local stakeholders and leveraging digital platforms, the project seeks to minimize ecological footprints, improve social well-being, and encourage tourists to act as “temporary citizens.”
Anti-touristification-sign-in-Madrid.-Photo-cc-Eutropian

What is the issue about tourism?

Tourism has posed significant challenges, including environmental degradation, cultural commodification, economic instability, and social displacement. Over-tourism depletes resources, pollutes ecosystems, and raises property prices, often displacing residents and creating seasonal job insecurity.
 
Sustainable tourism requires educating travelers, supporting local businesses, and developing eco-friendly infrastructure like public transport and green accommodations. Conservation efforts and community involvement can protect local cultures and habitats, while policies managing tourist numbers and promoting certifications, paired with technology, can foster more responsible tourism.



FOOTPRINTS GOALS

 

FOOTPRINTS adopts an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to local development led by the Municipality of Ravenna. This strategy encompasses various policy sectors, including the Urban Plan for Sustainable Mobility and the Tourism Strategic Plan. The project focuses on five key pillars: tourist place making, digital tools and services, local and social economy growth, soft mobility, and community building.

FOOTPRINTS emphasizes stakeholder involvement and collaborative governance, aiming to enhance community and end-user engagement in tourism. By involving associations of vulnerable groups and citizens’ committees in co-design processes, the project fosters greater ownership and participation in policymaking.

 

Eutropian's role in FOOTPRINTS

 

Eutropian  supports the FOOTPRINTS project in the following ways:

  • Facilitate knowledge sharing among local stakeholders, project partners and transfer partners to exchange best practices in sustainable tourism, focusing on low-carbon and circular economy practices.
  • Conduct benchmarking and research into good practices and policies to inform and support consortium activities. 
  • Coordinate monitoring activities including the definition of responsible and sustainable tourism indicators 
  • Support participatory processes to co-design services that promote responsible tourism behaviors through digital platforms, gamification, and community involvement.
  • Support the development of co-governance models to integrate sustainable tourism practices into local policies, ensuring long-term environmental and social sustainability.
  • Document key insights and provide actionable policy recommendations for other cities to replicate successful strategies.
  • Contribute to  communication efforts to raise awareness and showcase the project’s impact on reducing environmental footprints and improving social well-being.

About the partners

Our project draws strength from a dynamic consortium of partners committed to sustainable tourism, accessibility, and regional development. Atlantide, managing AmaParco’s 20 attractions and environmental education initiatives, brings extensive experience in sustainable tourism. San Vitale supports disability integration with mobility and hospitality services essential to our goals. Ravenna Incoming enhances visitor experiences as Ravenna’s Destination Management Company, while Azimut S.p.A. leverages urban service expertise to improve mobility through innovative technologies. Vista Technologies ensures effective project management and user-centered software development, and ART-ER, through Clust-ER Tourism, fosters sustainable growth and innovation. Together, these partners will elevate the project’s impact across Emilia-Romagna.

Partners

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