UPLIFT's Final Conference held in Maribor
The international UPLIFT Final Conference – Unlocking the Future of Immersive Literary and Film Tourism took place in Maribor, Slovenia, on 8 September 2026. The conference brought together experts, researchers and tourism stakeholders to explore the future of immersive literary and film tourism in Europe. The hybrid conference took place both in situ and online.
Vera Vilhjálmsdóttir, represented ITRC at the conference. She welcomed participants and introduced the UPLIFT project, its objectives and key areas of focus. Vera also joined other international experts in a panel discussion exploring The Future of Immersive Tourism in Europe.
Connecting literature, film and tourism
The conference featured two keynote presentations focusing on the opportunities that emerge at the intersection of literature, film, storytelling and tourism.
Dr Noëlle O’Connor from the Technological University of the Shannon in Ireland delivered the keynote The Future of Film and Literary Tourism, exploring current developments and future opportunities within film- and literature-inspired tourism.
Prof. Dr Jasna Potočnik Topler from the University of Maribor presented Slovene Writers’ Route: Connecting Literature and Tourism, demonstrating how literary heritage and storytelling can be transformed into meaningful tourism experiences.
The programme also showcased inspirational stories and experiences from UPLIFT workshops held in Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania and Slovenia, highlighting practical approaches to immersive tourism across the participating countries. Yixuan Lu, PhD student in museology from the University of Iceland, represented the Icelandic workshop. She discussed the key take-aways from the workshop and how she related the project to her own work, which is studying the experiences of Chinese tourists in Icelandic museums.
Participants and organisers in Maribor (picture: Catherine Neill)
From ideas to practical solutions
UPLIFT is an Erasmus+ cooperation project aimed at strengthening knowledge and skills in immersive literary and film tourism. The project explores how digital solutions, storytelling and a range of immersive approaches can be used to create engaging and memorable visitor experiences.
Throughout the project, the partners have developed educational resources, workshops and practical tools for tourism businesses, educators and other stakeholders interested in developing experiences inspired by literature and film.
The Icelandic Tourism Research Centre is the leading partner in UPLIFT and has contributed to the project’s research, educational activities and dissemination.
More information about the project and access to its open-source educational resources can be found on the project's website: https://uplifttourism.eu/
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