UPLIFT educational resources for immersive tourism

Over the past two years, the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (ITRC), on behalf of the University of Akureyri, has led the European UPLIFT project, which ends now in September. The project has focused on strengthening skills and knowledge in immersive literary and film tourism and supporting tourism businesses, educators and learners in using digital technologies and storytelling to create more engaging visitor experiences.

UPLIFT is an Erasmus+ partnership bringing together six organisations from Iceland, Ireland, Denmark, Lithuania and Slovenia. Combining expertise in tourism, education and technology, the project has produced research and best practices, workshops, implementation clinics, video lessons and practical guidance for educators and trainers.

As UPLIFT approaches its conclusion, the collection of educational resources is now freely available through the project website. The materials are particularly relevant to tourism SMEs, educators and trainers, learners and other tourism and cultural stakeholders interested in exploring how storytelling and technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and simpler digital solutions can be used to enhance tourism experiences.

Four practical video lessons

UPLIFT has produced four practical Video Lessons, drawing on the project's immersive workshops in Iceland, Lithuania, Ireland and Slovenia. The lessons are designed to make immersive technology more accessible and demonstrate how users can move from strategy and ideas towards practical creation. No technical background is required, and the lessons focus on realistic approaches and tools that can also be used by smaller businesses and organisations.

The four lessons cover marketing, branding and goals; the use of VR, AR and XR in tourism; creating a VR experience on a budget; and creative uses of QR codes. Each lesson can be used as a stand-alone learning resource or incorporated into a wider course, workshop or training programme.

Explore the UPLIFT Video Lessons

Workshops and Implementation Clinics

UPLIFT has also developed four practical workshops and four accompanying Implementation Clinics to support tourism businesses and other stakeholders in developing immersive literary and film tourism ideas. A key message of the resources is that immersive tourism does not necessarily require expensive VR equipment or complex technology. Storytelling, audio, QR codes, smartphone content and interactive activities can all provide accessible ways of creating more engaging visitor experiences.

The resources are organised around four topics that take users from understanding the possibilities of immersive tourism to developing and implementing their own ideas. They explore why immersive technologies matter for tourism businesses; positioning, branding, audiences and immersive storytelling; budgeting, financial planning and responsible practice; and the promotion and sale of immersive experiences through storytelling. The workshops encourage users to explore opportunities and challenges, while the Implementation Clinics provide practical exercises for turning those ideas into realistic actions and development plans.

Explore the UPLIFT Workshops and Implementation Clinics

Practical guidance for educators and trainers

The new UPLIFT VET Trainers Guide brings the project's educational resources together and provides practical guidance on how they can be used in teaching and training. The guide is primarily intended for VET educators and trainers working in tourism, hospitality and related fields, but it can also support tourism SMEs, tour guides, museums, heritage sites, destination organisations and other cultural and creative professionals interested in developing immersive literary and film tourism experiences.

Rather than providing a fixed curriculum, the guide offers a flexible pathway through the UPLIFT resources. It explains how research, best practices, video lessons, workshops and Implementation Clinics can be selected and combined according to learners' needs, available time and teaching context. It also contains practical trainer tools, including resource-selection checklists, session-planning templates, learner activity sheets, peer-feedback forms and reflection tools. Throughout the guide, educators are encouraged to start small, build on existing resources and select technologies that strengthen the story and visitor experience rather than becoming the experience itself.

Explore the UPLIFT VET Trainers Guide

All UPLIFT educational resources are freely available through the project website (https://uplifttourism.eu/) and are designed to remain useful beyond the lifetime of the project. The website also provides access to UPLIFT's research reports and a collection of European best-practice examples in immersive literary and film tourism.