XpRience Thess

The Programme XpRience Thess, which is funded by the NSRF (Enterprise Agreement for the Development Framework), is actualised in the context of the Action Innovation Investment Plans of the Region of Central Macedonia. It is also co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the EU and by National Resources. The Programme’s duration is 24 months and has started on October 2021.

Programme’s Content

The XpRience Thess Programme develops an alternative thematic tourism product, that consists of three walking tours with historic and cultural aspects, therefore, reinforcing Sustainable Cultural Tourism and attracting youths in the city of Thessaloniki. A substantial part of the Programme is the design of Extended Reality Applications that will be integrated into the walking tours, bringing out treasured historic monuments of the city.

The main theme of the walking tours, which will be operated by professional guides, is the historical evolution of the three basic religious communities (Jews, Muslims, Christians) that lived in the city between 1850 - 1950. Each one of the three routes will include at least 10 stops at selective points of interest and will last no more than four hours.

The Virtual and Augmented Reality Applications will enrich the walking tours using 3D animations, videos, audio, and narratives. Through that, visitors will enjoy unique experiences, in addition, to connecting the distinctive locations with the history of Thessaloniki and seeing them as they were reconstructed through the years and are reference points nowadays. Moreover, a smartphone application of a digital map will be developed with the use of Extended 3D information, to guide visitors during the tours and offer them useful tips about the area.

Programme’s Partners

Partners of the Programme are: Mazi Travel,  the Information Technologies Institute (ITI) of the Centre of Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with the Laboratory of Topography (LabTop)

Mazi Travel has been present for more than 30 years in the Tourism industry. During the last seven years, it has taken part and coordinated several innovative European Programmes, participating in their design and implementation. Mazi Travel specializes in Incoming Tourism, having a substantial network of partners around the world. Additional areas of activity include Business and Corporate trips, FITs, as well as Incentives and group excursions. Mazi Travel also develops new, thematic products, and implements particularly demanding tourism programs.  

The Information Technologies Institute (ITI) of the Centre of Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) is one of the leading Institutions of Greece in the fields of Informatics, Telematics and Telecommunications. ITI has participated in a substantial number of Research and Development projects, such as  Signal and Image Processing, Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning, Human-Machine Interaction, Virtual and Augmented Reality and Social Network Analysis. Since 1998 ITI has participated in more than 380 Research and Development projects funded by European, Public investment funds and Services contracted by firms and other private legal entities.

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with the Laboratory of Topography (LabTop), as part of the School of Rural and Surveying Engineering, develops methodologies that contribute to the theoretical, analytical, computational, research advancement and development of science via the implementation and documentation of monuments and archaeological sites. The results of the applied research of the Laboratory are taught at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, being important resources for the new engineers.

The Programme’s website will be published soon and will include a detailed description of XpRience Thess, as well as relevant technical information, while the presence on Social Media has been established through a Facebook page. As the Extended Reality Applications are being developed, narratives that will frame the guided tours are being formed, with imaginary people as their main characters, whose lives unfold during the period 1850 - 1950, which is the thematic historical period of the Programme.

For updates follow our Facebook Page [link: https://www.facebook.com/XpRienceThess] and visit our website [link: www.xpriencethess.eu]