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

Our Mission

Established in September 2013, USI UNESCO Chair is committed to perform research and teaching on how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media in general, can be effectively used to develop and promote sustainable tourism at World Heritage Sites (WHSs).

More information here.

Winter School 2026

The 2026 edition of USI UNESCO Chair Winter School, titled “Taste the past. Digital media for Byzantine heritage and authentic experiences in Northern Greece”, took place from 7 to 14 February 2026 in Thessaloniki and Kastoria (Greece).

More information here.

Master in International Tourism

Università della Svizzera italiana offers a Master in International Tourism (MIT), run by the Faculty of Economics in collaboration with the Faculty of Communication Sciences. The USI UNESCO Chair is deeply involved in this Master, through teaching, research, internships and theses opportunities.

Open Access Chapters

We are happy to announce the publication of the Handbook on Heritage, Sustainable Tourism and Digital Media, edited by Silvia De Ascaniis and Lorenzo Cantoni, published by Edward Elgar: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788970082.

More information here.

The Making of a Masterpiece

An online exhibition curated by the UNESCO Chair (USI) presenting "le vêtement de Don Nicola Mazza", a richely embroidered Catholic garment from the 19th century. The exhibition highlights its craftsmanship and the social mission behind its production.

Explore the exhibition here!

UNESCO Chair @ Fête des Vignerons

May 27, 2019 | ,

On Sunday, July 28th 2019, chair holder Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni, held a conference at 5:30 p.m. in the "Maison Ticino". The event was organized by "Sapori Ticino" and represented "an opportunity to explore the concept of intangible cultural heritage, retrace the history...

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Official launch of “DESy”

May 9, 2019 | , ,

<<DESy>> (short for: Digital Destination Evolution System) is a project between the border areas of Switzerland and Italy and was created to collect and analyze tourist information using AI. This will benefit the tourism experience of the visitor to both...

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