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Visitor Center Sicily

A project by Confartigianato Sicilia with Upskill 4.0 to connect artisans and travelers

 

We have co-designed an immersive format with Confartigianato Sicilia that takes visitors inside the workshops of high-end craftsmanship. The Visitor Center is a gateway: multimedia content, virtual rooms, real objects, and reservations for workshop visits. The pilot involves eight companies in Palermo, Enna, and Syracuse. The goal is to transform curiosity into itineraries, visits, and informed purchases, distributing flows beyond iconic locations and promoting the crafts, materials, and stories of local communities.

+16 million
tourist visits exceeded in Sicily in 2023. Demand for authentic, high-quality experiences is growing, even outside the main circuits.

An immersive format for discovering Sicilian workshops: three experiential rooms, eight pilot companies, and direct booking of workshop visits.

Integrating craftsmanship and tourism with immersive technologies

We want to make craftsmanship a reason to travel. We have created a clear and replicable experience that combines storytelling, interaction, and service: from immersive content to in-shop booking. The result is a ready-to-use prototype for tourist hubs and info points, with an operating model that generates value for visitors, businesses, and local areas.

Sicily, tourism on the rise but shops often invisible

The island has a rich cultural heritage. However, those traveling on a tight schedule may find it challenging to visit workshops and understand their processes and quality. The Visitor Center addresses this issue by providing guidance, education, and inviting physical encounters. It is a new touchpoint in the regional tourism system designed for ports, airports, museums, and historic centers.

From the immersive room to the workshop visit

We have designed a route through three complementary spaces.

– Immersive space with projections on landscapes, techniques, and materials.

-Educational space with stories, processes, and objects to touch.

-Interactive space for purchasing, ordering, and booking visits to the shop.

Eight companies from Palermo, Enna, and Syracuse are participating in the pilot project. We worked with artisans and technology partners on content, UX, booking flows, and metrics to measure traffic, conversions, and returns to the shop within 30 and 60 days.

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Notes

Project carried out with Confartigianato Sicilia and in collaboration with local technology partners. Upskill 4.0 oversaw co-design, prototyping, and scalability roadmap.

Visit the project website here

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