It was founded in 2020 at the Faculty of Economics in Split the first Croatian Living Lab which focuses on creating an enabling environment for the cooperation of key stakeholders and the development of cultural tourism in a sustainable manner.
This Living Lab is the result of the SmartCulTour scientific project which received financial support from the European Union's HORIZON2020 program for research and innovation. The goal of Living Lab is to encourage innovation in different sectors of activity, co-create innovative and authentic tourist experiences, strengthen the capacity of stakeholders for cooperation and involvement in the management processes of tourism development at the destination level.
In the context of sustainable development of cultural tourism, cooperation of stakeholders is crucial to ensure that new tourist products and services be developed in accordance with the real market needs and in accordance with local culture and tradition.
Through the process of co-creating tourist experiences with different stakeholders, it is possible to ensure that the products and services that are developed fully fit the needs of tourists and provide added value to the local community. In addition, the cooperation of stakeholders through the Living Lab approach enables the creation of synergies between different stakeholders, which can lead to the creation of new business opportunities and increase the competitiveness of the destination.