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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”, will take 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.

Maestros: Healers of Peru

An online exhibition curated by the UNESCO Chair (USI) showcasing the ancestral healing practices of Peruvian maestros. Through Heinz Plenge’s evocative photography, the journey reveals rituals, sacred landscapes, and spiritual connections with nature.

Explore the exhibition here!

HTHIC2017 | Call for Papers and Presentations

Jan 3, 2017 |

University of Turku and Elgin & Co. are pleased to announce the Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality, International Conference 2017. The event will take place in Pori, Finland, on 27-29 September 2017. For more information: https://heritagetourismhospitality.org/ The...

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Asta Adukaite Successfully Defended PhD Thesis

Oct 21, 2016 |

Former Coordinator of UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites, Asta Adukaite successfully defended her PhD Thesis at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) on October 19, 2016. The title of her Thesis was: ICT and...

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Seminar: Issues in ICT4D

Oct 17, 2016 |

On October 20 2016, there was at USI (Università della Svizzera italiana), Lugano, prof. Wallace Chigona from University of Cape Town giving a seminar on Issues in Information and Communication Technologies for Development. Read more information here.  

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World Tourism Day 2016

Sep 27, 2016 |

For the celebration of World Tourism Day 2016, Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni will be a speaker at the Tourism Leaders' International Summit, representing both International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) and UNESCO Chair in ICT. The conference will take...

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