- This project is interesting and important because it combines information technology and tourism, which are actually two of the most dynamic industries in the world. The added value is introducing visitors and tourists not only to the urban, but also to the rural parts of Varaždin County and the Hungarian town of Csurgó and its surroundings. Rural areas, unfortunately, often remain somehow neglected, but they have great potential and numerous sights that are worth getting to know and visiting. Thanks to applications and virtual reality technology, rural areas will become even more popular, giving the tourist offer a completely new dimension. The project will establish two visitor centers - one in the town of Csurgó, and the other here in Varaždin. As you know, work is underway on the renovation of the basement of the County Palace into a Visitor Center, which will be equipped with high technology, all with the aim of presenting cultural and natural heritage in a dynamic, educational and attractive way - said Prefect Anđelko Stričak .
The Deputy Mayor of the City of Csurgó, Vassné Huszics Bernadett, noted that the project is extremely important because unique investments and activities will be carried out within it.
- In the future visitor centers, guests in Csurgó and Varaždin will be able to communicate with each other in real time via the so-called "window". In the area of the Csurgó Historical Park, in addition to the decoration of the visitor center, a tunnel leading to the wooden castle will be built and equipped, which as a new, innovative and unique element will further contribute to the rise of local and regional tourism and the expansion of services. In addition, a medieval fair and an international drawing competition will be organized as part of the project - announced Vassné Huszics Bernadett.
The tourism industry has changed, and the inclusion of IT technologies in tourism is a prerequisite for attracting modern guests, said Goran Mališ, director of the Varaždin County Tourism Board.
- In addition to the future unique center for visitors that Varaždin County will receive, the fact that we have received a database and analysis of the existing cultural and natural heritage in this area, and the stakeholders in the tourism of Varaždin County will be able to be included in education specifically on the subject of IT and tourism development, is particularly pleasing. Today, tourism without advanced technologies is inevitable, and with all the opportunities it provides, we are looking forward to the development of tourism in Varaždin County in this direction - said Goran Mališ, Director of Varaždin County Tourism Board.
Dr. Nikoletta Kaszás, Director of Pannonia University Campus in Nagykanizsa - University Center for Circular Economy, said that it is a pleasure to be a partner in a project that brings together two important areas of education and research of the university center.
- Digitization and the "gamification" based on it is present in all areas, so it is also inevitable in tourism. Tourism actors already use digital technologies almost everywhere, an example is hotel reservation systems built into their own website. On the other hand, augmented reality has a limited presence so far, so in the case of castles there are examples where it becomes visible how the castle once looked. As part of the project, my colleagues developed a mobile application that, in addition to tourist information, also includes five different games based on augmented reality. All of them are made on the basis of 3D models, and by visiting the tourist locations proposed in the game project, we can play in front of a live, real background - said Dr. Kaszás.
After lectures given by Krisztián Attila Bakon and Gergely Anga from the University of Pannonia in Nagykanizsa - University Center for Circular Economy from Hungary, M.Sc. sc. Neda Telišman Košuta from Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Solutions d.o.o. from Croatia and Robert Majhen from Lucera - an entrepreneurial incubator from Ludbreg, the international conference ended with a panel discussion on the topic " Applications of IT Technologies in Tourism and Improvement of the Tourism Sector“.
Mayor Stričak noted that the project is not only made up of buildings, infrastructure, technology, but also people. - In this case, they are residents from the Hungarian and Croatian sides of the border, who have been living together in this area for centuries, but they may not know each other well enough. With this project, we will open opportunities for cooperation and getting to know each other both for the residents of this area and for tourists who come to visit - he pointed out.