The BEST project’s training course has concluded. Designed to support professionals in the tourism and culture sectors in developing innovative, entrepreneurial, and digital skills, the course placed particular emphasis on the practical application of artificial intelligence in the tourism industry. Spanning a total of 24 hours, the course alternated in-person sessions with online modules, combining strategic reflection, operational tools, and hands-on exercises.
A COURSE DESIGNED TO MEET THE SECTOR’S REAL NEEDS
The training program was designed to provide participants with immediately applicable skills, while also fostering a broader vision of innovation in the tourism sector. The program addressed key themes for the present and future of the sector: the Innovation Catalyst method applied to tourism, sustainability, foundational skills in generative artificial intelligence, risks, ethical and regulatory aspects, and the practical use of various AI tools for the sector.
In addition to the theoretical component, the course included individual and group exercises, case studies, and hands-on application sessions, with the aim of helping participants develop digital and strategic skills, thereby promoting the cross-border tourism destination.
THE GREAT ADDED VALUE: A STRATEGIC USE OF AI IN THE SERVICE OF AUTHENTICITY
One of the most distinctive features of the BEST course, compared to many other programs currently available on the market dedicated to innovation, AI, and tourism, was that it proposed not a superficial or purely technical use of artificial intelligence, but a genuine strategic approach, thanks to the application of the INNOVATION CATALYST METHOD developed by the Kersnikova Institute in Ljubljana.
In fact, throughout the course, AI was approached as a tool for enhancing individual capabilities, supporting creativity, teamwork, and design—not as a mechanism to replace human experience. The program explicitly emphasized the need to use these tools critically, understanding their potential, limitations, risks, and proper positioning within the tourism offering.
Even more importantly, the program highlighted a central reflection for contemporary tourism: what is authentic, how the value of an experience is built, and how technology can enhance it without distorting it. Precisely for this reason, the proposed approach does not aim for an indiscriminate use of AI, but rather an intelligent, conscious, and strategic use, capable of supporting a form of tourism grounded in the identity of places, the quality of relationships, and the credibility of content.
NOT JUST TRAINING, BUT ALSO NETWORKING
A second major benefit of the course was its role as a constant space for networking among various professionals in the sector. Throughout the program, participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas, share approaches, pool their needs and insights, and view their work from a broader perspective—one shaped by the interplay of tourism, culture, creativity, and innovation.
This aspect was also facilitated by the program’s structure itself, which included brainstorming sessions and collaborative activities (again thanks to the application of the Innovation Catalyst method). In this way, the course was not only an opportunity for professional development but also a place for meeting and building relationships among individuals working within the same local ecosystem.
A PRACTICAL OPPORTUNITY TO TEST THE INNOVATION CATALYST IN TOURISM
The defining feature of the BEST program was therefore the opportunity to put the innovative “Innovation Catalyst” method to the test and to understand how it can be applied in the tourism sector.
The program dedicated a specific module to presenting the 10 steps of the method, its application in various contexts within the sector, and the development of a work plan for use in tourism businesses. Subsequently, the course also offered an in-depth exploration of AI and the Innovation Catalyst, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can be used to enhance brainstorming processes, creativity, and teamwork in the design of new services: this was achieved by HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE with the prototype developed using the Innovation Catalyst method, made available for the final days of the course at the X Center in Nova Gorica.
This was a particularly significant element, as it allowed participants not only to listen to the content but also to experiment with a methodological approach that can be applied to their own professional contexts.
A STARTING POINT FOR FUTURE ACTIONS
The conclusion of the course marks an important milestone in the BEST project. The skills acquired, the connections forged among participants, and the work carried out on the Innovation Catalyst method now form a solid foundation for the next phases of the project.
In fact, the program also included the presentation of project work linked to the subsequent pilot actions, offering participants the opportunity to transform the knowledge gained during the course into innovation projects to be further developed.
In this sense, the BEST course leaves behind something far broader than mere training: a vision of innovation as a guided, collaborative process aimed at fostering a more conscious, competitive, and above all, authentic form of tourism.
