The North Adriatic Sea Port Authority participates in the international conference “Smart and Sustainable Tourism: Impacts, Approaches and Solutions”

The North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, in collaboration with the Venice Sustainability Foundation (VSF), organised the International Conference “Smart and Sustainable Tourism: Impacts, Approaches and Solutions”, which takes place on Friday 5 December 2025 at the Aula Magna Tolentini of IUAV University of Venice.
The event, held within the framework of the ADRIJOROUTES Project, funded by the European Interreg Italy–Croatia programme, aims to provide an opportunity for discussion on the current and future state of tourism, fostering the exchange of innovative approaches and solutions for smart and sustainable tourism.
Following the opening remarks by the Rector of IUAV University of Venice, Benno Albrecht, the Councillor for Urban Planning, Private Building and Environment of the Municipality of Venice, Massimiliano De Martin, and the Director of the Tourism and Territorial Marketing Directorate of the Veneto Region, Stefano Sisto, the event is structured into three sessions.
The first session focuses on “Impacts: Viewing the World through the Lens of Tourism”, featuring contributions from Elena Nembrini, ENIT, Director General; Ioannis Pappas, GSTC, Regional Director for Europe | European Climate Pact Ambassador | URBACT Lead Expert | European Urban Initiative Expert for Innovative Actions; Guido Licciardi, World Bank, Senior Operations Officer; and Costanza Alesse, NECSTouR, Project Manager.
The second session concentrates on “Approaches: Cities as Laboratories for Smart, Innovative and Sustainable Tourism”, offering a pan-European comparison of national and international case studies in which cities act as laboratories for tourism innovation, integrating sustainability, inclusion, technology and participation. Speakers include Domenico Carretta, Councillor for Tourism, Municipality of Turin; Kyriaki Boulasidou, Director of the Hellenic National Tourism Organisation; Johannes Lutter, UIV – Urban Innovation Vienna, Head of International Affairs & Strategic Partnerships; Josep Xurigué Camprubí, Barcelona Comerç, Deputy Director; Leonardo Ricci, Municipality of Florence, Head of the Technological Infrastructure Development Service; and Emanuele Geri, Municipality of Florence, Head of EQ Data Resources, Open Data and GIS.
The third session, entitled “Solutions Proposed by VSF Members for Smart and Sustainable Tourism”, features contributions from Quang Ngo Dinh, TIM Enterprise, CEO of Olivetti; Simona Olivadese, Tourism Representative at UniCredit; and Andrea Casadei, Almaviva, Tourism Practice Manager for SMEs in Tourism, Culture and Sport. Maria Sol Scanferla, Officer of the Promotion, Communication and Institutional Relations Department of the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, address the adoption of innovative digital tools to enhance, and in some cases enable, accessibility to and use of port systems. The experience of the Veneto Port System highlights how digital technologies can be leveraged to promote more responsible and culturally aware tourism, contributing to the protection of the distinctive identities of port areas and surrounding territories.
The sessions was moderated by Damiano De Marchi, Professor at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Paolo Clini, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Marche and Director of DhekalosLab for AI and Digital Heritage.