Across Europe, the convergence of cultural heritage with emerging technologies is creating new opportunities for destinations. Enabling travelers to literally step inside the worlds of their favorite books, films, and historical sagas. However, adopting cutting-edge innovations like Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) often poses a steep learning curve for small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) and cultural institutions.
To address this gap, the two-year EU-funded Erasmus+ project UPLIFT (Unlocking the Potential of Immersive Literary and Film Tourism in Europe) has brought together international academic, technology, and vocational training partners to equip the tourism sector with practical digital tools.
Culminating two years of research, practical workshops, and resource development, the project will host its showcase hybrid event – the UPLIFT Final Conference on 8 September 2026 in Maribor, Slovenia, as well as online.
The conference features two distinguished keynote speakers:
-
Dr. Noëlle O’Connor (Technological University of the Shannon, Ireland), speaking on The Future of Film and Literary Tourism.
-
Dr. Jasna Potočnik Topler (VSGT Maribor, Slovenia), delivering insights on the Slovene Writers’ Route: Connecting Literature and Tourism.
Beyond keynote addresses, the afternoon agenda highlights real-world outcomes from UPLIFT regional workshops, including the presentation From Visitors to Heroes, alongside an expert panel discussion exploring future directions for European immersive tourism.
Programme Highlights (CEST):
-
14:00 — Conference Opening
-
14:30 — Keynote Addresses: Dr. Noëlle O’Connor & Dr. Jasna Potočnik Topler
-
15:15 — From Visitors to Heroes — Stories from UPLIFT Workshops
-
16:00 — Expert Panel: The Future of Immersive Tourism in Europe
-
16:30 — Closing Remarks & Networking
The UPLIFT initiative is delivered by a strategic European consortium comprising the University of Akureyri (Iceland), Technological University of the Shannon (Ireland), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania), European E-learning Institute (Denmark), Feltech Software Innovations Ltd (Ireland), and host institution VSGT Maribor (Slovenia).
Targeting tourism operators, Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), museum directors, tour guides, VET educators, researchers, and policymakers, participation in the conference is free of charge. Both in-person and online participants must register in advance via the official UPLIFT project website.
