Fabio Viola is coordinating a collective of artists working at the intersection of art and video games.
The goal of gamification in tourism is to explore human relationships through new forms of hyper-technological creativity in which the international public becomes an active part and co-protagonist of the experience. By reworking existing heritage or creating new art, Fabio Viola and the cultural association TuoMuseo aim to create new cultural and tourist imaginaries.
TuoMuseo realizes apps, mobile games and board games for cultural institution such as museums, regions and theatres. It creates engaging narrations that stimulate the user to physically visit the sites.
Resources needed
Initial grant of €130,000 by Cariplo Found.. Economic sustainability ensured by projects funded by museums, theaters, public bodies & the participation in calls to develop theoretical & applied research. An interdisciplinary team (artists, programmers, cultural heritage experts) runs the activity.
Evidence of success
15 projects implemented, as Father and Son, a mobile game realized for the Naples National Archaeological Museum that five years after its release, has exceeded 5 million downloads and brought over 60,000 people from the video game to the physical presence in the museum (admission cost 15 euros).
Potential for learning or transfer
Gamification in tourism demonstrates the power of games as “engagement machines”, it shows the importance of creating experiences where the user is the protagonist and not only a spectator, it teaches how to use storytelling to increase the public’s engagement in cultural sites.
Tags: Cultural heritage, Digitalisation, Sustainable tourism, Tourism
