A Grass-Roots Approach for Local Heritage Games
Heritage sites often face overcrowding, which can damage their cultural value and reduce visitor enjoyment. At the same time, many local communities struggle to connect with their own heritage in meaningful ways. The CREA-CULT-2025-COOP-101255060 — EXPLORE project offers a fresh way to address these challenges. It brings together local actors, experts, tourism agents, and visitors to create engaging game designs based on local heritage. This approach aims to promote civic pride, highlight heritage significance, and ease pressure on popular destinations by spreading visitor interest more evenly.
Bringing Local Voices to the Forefront
Past attempts to involve communities in heritage promotion often failed to truly empower local voices. The EXPLORE project focuses on making the process genuinely bottom-up. Instead of imposing ideas from the top, it encourages collaboration among multilevel stakeholders, including local residents, cultural experts, and tourism professionals. This collaboration happens through targeted events where participants share knowledge, experiences, and ideas.
By involving diverse groups, the project ensures that the games reflect authentic local stories and values. This grassroots involvement helps build stronger connections between people and their heritage, fostering a sense of ownership and pride.
Designing Games That Connect and Educate
The core of the EXPLORE project is to reinvent game design using local heritage assets. These games are not just entertainment; they serve as tools to educate players about the history, culture, and significance of heritage sites. The games encourage exploration beyond the usual tourist hotspots, helping to decongest crowded areas.
For example, in Italy, one game might guide players through lesser-known historical neighborhoods, revealing hidden stories and landmarks. In Greece, another game could focus on traditional crafts and folklore, inviting players to complete challenges that teach about local customs. Ukraine’s game might highlight architectural heritage and community memories, encouraging players to engage with residents and learn firsthand.
These games use simple, accessible mechanics so that visitors of all ages and backgrounds can participate. The goal is to create a win-win situation: visitors enjoy a richer experience, local communities gain recognition and pride, and heritage sites benefit from more sustainable tourism.
Events That Build Connections and Skills
The EXPLORE project organizes a series of events designed to bring together stakeholders, tourism agents, experts, trainees, and visitors. These events serve multiple purposes:
Knowledge exchange: Experts share insights on heritage preservation and storytelling.
Skill building: Trainees learn game design techniques and how to incorporate heritage elements.
Networking: Stakeholders connect to form partnerships and share resources.
Testing and feedback: Visitors participate in game trials and provide input for improvement.
These gatherings create a dynamic environment where ideas evolve and practical solutions emerge. They also help build a community around heritage games, ensuring ongoing support and development.
Impact on Heritage Destinations
The project focuses on three heritage destinations in Italy, Greece, and Ukraine, each with unique cultural assets and challenges. By tailoring game concepts to local contexts, the project respects the distinct identities of these places while addressing common issues like overcrowding and community disengagement.
The games encourage visitors to explore beyond the main attractions, spreading tourism benefits more evenly. This reduces wear and tear on fragile sites and supports local businesses in less-visited areas. At the same time, the involvement of local people in game creation strengthens community ties and promotes cultural pride.
Moving Forward with Heritage Games
The EXPLORE project shows that a grass-roots approach can make heritage games more meaningful and effective. By involving local voices and focusing on real community needs, these games become tools for education, pride, and sustainable tourism.
If you are involved in heritage management, tourism, or community development, consider how local collaboration can enhance your projects. Engaging diverse stakeholders and creating interactive experiences based on authentic heritage can lead to stronger connections and better outcomes for everyone.
Explore the potential of heritage games to bring your community’s stories to life and invite visitors to discover them in new, respectful ways.
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