HTHIC2020 Organisers, Partners & Sponsors

UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in
World Heritage Sites

at USI – Università della Svizzera italiana is committed to perform extensive research and teaching on how information and communication technologies can be effectively utilized to develop and promote sustainable tourism at cultural and natural heritage sites. Its scope touches and overlaps on the following fields: eTourism, eLearning, and ICT4D (ICT for Development).

Elgin & Co.

Elgin & Co. combine expertise in heritage, tourism and communication and work with DMOs and heritage organisations on optimising their strategy and communication. Elgin & Co.’s Tourism StoryLAB ® specialises in narrative communication and the development of skills in storytelling and narrative management for branding, marketing and visitor experience development.

HTHIC2020 Partners

UNESCO-UNITWIN Network
“Culture, Tourism, and Development”

The UNITWIN-UNESCO Chairs Programme, which involves over 700 institutions in 116 countries, promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work. The UNITWIN network “Tourism, Culture, Development” comprises 30 top level universities and is coordinated by the UNESCO Chair at Université Paris 1 – Panthéon Sorbonne.   

Municipality of Mendrisio

The Municipality of Mendrisio, located in the southern part of Ticino, looks forward to welcoming the HTHIC2020 participants.

Organizzazione Turistica Regionale Mendrisiotto e Basso Ceresio

The Organizzazione Turistica Regionale Mendrisiotto e Basso Ceresio, better known as Mendrisiotto Turismo, is  the regional tourism authority, responsible for tourism strategy and visitor services.

Museo Vincenzo Vela

The country house the Ticinese sculptor Vincenzo Vela (1820-1891) had built to live and work in, in his native village Ligornetto, was in 1898 inaugurated as a museum.

Centre for Global Heritage and Development

The Centre for Global Heritage and Development is a collaboration of Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Centre uses its interuniversity and interdisciplinary status to go beyond the traditional study of heritage, by focusing on how heritage relates to cultural, social and environmental developments and decisions.

ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC)

ICOMOS ICTC is a global network of cultural heritage, conservation and tourism professionals and academics. They providing a platform for cutting-edge transversal thinking, developing policy directions and providing advice and expertise at local national and international levels including to UNESCO, UNWTO & IUCN.

Ancient History Encycopedia

The Ancient History Encyclopedia is a non-profit company publishing the world’s most-read history encyclopedia. Their mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Studying history helps us gain a more nuanced understanding of the world we live in today. The Ancient History Encyclopedia helps people across the globe gain a deeper, fundamental knowledge of our interconnected human past in order to create curious, open-minded, and tolerant societies in the future.

EU Interreg Project CHERISH

CHERISH is short for “Creating opportunities for regional growth through promoting Cultural HERitage of fISHing communities in Europe”. The main objective of this EU Interreg project is to improve regional development policies to protect and promote cultural heritage in fishing communities in order to boost attractiveness of these regions for businesses, citizens and tourists.

Slow Adventure in Northern Territories (SAINT)

The Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland brought together 11 partners in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Finland, Northern Ireland and Scotland in trans-national EU-funded project which ran until April 2018. Slow Adventure is now being established as a stand-alone, socially-conscious company to work with businesses and destination organisations on the development and promotion of tourism products that meet the ethical standards developed in the project.

Eurail Interrail

Eurail offers its international customers the ultimate travel experience in Europe using an expansive network of train and ferry connections. Eurail is the organisation dedicated to the sales and management of Eurail and Interrail rail passes for both non-European and European residents respectively. With just one rail pass travellers of all ages have the ability to travel in and through up to 31 different European countries.

Caffè Chicco d’Oro

Since 1949, Caffè Chicco d’Oro di Er. R. Valsangiacomo has focused on living up to the taste expectations and requirements of its customers in the coffee roasting industry.

Chocolat Stella

Chocolat Stella Bernrein SA is an internationally-focused, family-owned high-quality chocolat producer. The company goes back to 1928 and lays great store on sustainability, both in the procurement of raw materials and in production. In addition, it is totally committed to Switzerland as its production base. Genuine Swiss chocolate specialties are their passion.

Hotel Touring Chiasso & Mövenpick Restaurant 

Restaurant Mövenpick Chiasso is one of the two restaurants in Hotel Touring Chiasso.
The Hotel is located near the Chiasso Train Station in the city centre. 

Viaggi Mantegazzi

Viaggi Mantegazzi SA is a specialist in the field of touring transport.