The project "From Global to Local: Rediscovering and Promoting the Identity of Exceptional Places" is part of the Ministry of Tourism's call for proposals for the promotion of municipalities with UNESCO sites and creative cities. Led by the Municipality of Varallo, in collaboration with Biella, Domodossola, Ghiffa, Serralunga di Crea, Varese, Orta San Giulio and Tremezzina, it aims to promote the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy. The aim is to transform this unique heritage into an integrated and accessible tourist experience, expanding the offer and attracting new target visitors through advanced technologies and an integrated digital strategy.

Over the years, Suggesto has developed a solid digital platform, rich in content, designed to offer insights and tools for organising visits and, in particular, an immersive experience of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The portal is aimed at a wide range of audiences, from tourists to researchers, while the App is optimised for visitors in situ, with educational and thematic itineraries, virtual tours, audio commentaries and gamification techniques.

Objectives and development directions

The project now aims to:

• Extend and update the website and mobile app, including new thematic itineraries and functionalities.
• Integrate the platform with the national portal italia.it and other local players.
• Implement a data collection and analysis system to better understand visitor behaviour.
• Introduce an itinerary planning tool with personalised suggestions based on artificial intelligence.
• Bringing online the virtual experiences previously available only through the app.
• Expand digital and offline communication, with an editorial plan for social media and signage in line with the brand's visual identity.

Itineraries: physical, virtual and narrative

The project involves the creation of new transversal itineraries linking the different Sacri Monti sites:

1. UNESCO tour: to discover the reasons for the serial nomination and the historical and landscape value of the site.
2. Artistic and Iconographic tour: to compare styles and narratives between the different complexes.
3. Nature trail: to discover the relationship between the Sacri Monti and the surrounding environment.

These itineraries will also be available in a virtual format, with texts, photos, videos and 360° panoramic views, translated into several languages.

Communication and promotion

The plan is to produce promotional videos in institutional and social formats, with an engaging narrative to explain the value of the Sacri Monti as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the same time, a social strategy on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube will be guided by a six-monthly editorial plan, with original content, regular reports and direct involvement of the organisation in the management.

An advanced digital platform at the service of the territory

The project is based on a scalable enterprise platform, updated to the latest technological standards, designed to grow and adapt to the needs of contemporary tourism: local, sustainable, interactive and inclusive.