Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco
Life Beyond Tourism
Embedded Files
OFFICINA_2027.pdfTransforming Tourism: Heritage as a Catalyst for Peace and Dialogue
Building an "Industry of Peace", the International Officina for the Culture of Dialogue (Florence, March 11-12, 2027)
Sign the Appeal Heritage for Building Peace
Join the International Officina for the Culture of Dialogue 2027
Join the Storytellathon 2027
Tourism today stands at a decisive turning point. Destinations across the world are searching for development models capable of generating value without extracting resources, eroding identities, or weakening the social fabric of communities. At the same time, travellers increasingly seek meaningful experiences that allow them to connect with people, stories, and places. In this context, heritage, in all its forms can become a powerful infrastructure for dialogue, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence.
The Appeal: Heritage for building peace
It is precisely this vision that inspires the Heritage for Building Peace Appeal, launched from Florence by the Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco – Life Beyond Tourism®. The Appeal is rooted in the humanist mission of UNESCO, founded in the aftermath of World War II to build peace through education, science, culture, communication, interpretation and information. Recalling the words of former UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay—who reaffirmed that these domains embody fundamental human values and constitute the basis for lasting peace—the Appeal invites the international community to recognise heritage as a catalyst for dialogue and sustainable development.
At its core, the Appeal calls for a renewed commitment to peace at both local and global levels, particularly in World Heritage Sites and culturally significant territories. These places, often characterised by a high multicultural presence of visitors, represent a unique richness: the positive, constructive side of overtourism. When approached through a Culture of Dialogue, the diversity of people who converge in these sites becomes an extraordinary opportunity for encounter, reciprocity, and mutual understanding. The Appeal therefore encourages institutions, professionals, and communities to promote workshops and practices that cultivate this Culture of Dialogue, transforming heritage into a shared space where innovative and ethical activities can flourish. Endorsing the Appeal is described as a symbolic and cultural act—a way to stand with those who view heritage’s inherent attractiveness, and the tourism that gives it concrete form, as enablers of human bonds and community rooted, non extractive economic activity. This shared commitment is reflected in the extraordinary diversity of signatories, now spanning nearly 98 countries across 5 continents: https://www.lifebeyondtourism.org/endorse-heritage-for-building-peace-2025-appeal/.
To translate the principles of the Appeal into concrete action, the Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco – Life Beyond Tourism® has launched two major initiatives: the International Officina for the Culture of Dialogue 2027 and Storytellathon 2027. Together, they form a coherent ecosystem that transforms values into operational tools, professional practices, and youth driven narratives.
The Officina: A hub for intercultural dialogue
The Officina 2027 builds on the collaborative work of its 2025 pilot edition and operates as a dynamic hub where theory and practice meet. Conceived as a permanent laboratory, it brings together experiences from naturally and culturally significant territories, treating them as spaces where intercultural dialogue can be tested, refined, and transformed into shared knowledge. The Officina is not a traditional conference; it is a working environment where ideas are field tested, critically evaluated, and developed collaboratively. Its mission is to elevate experiences that turn dialogue into tangible opportunities for sustainable development, promote innovative models of welcome and hospitality, strengthen local economies through non extractive tourism models, and support the entrepreneurial creativity of younger generations.
We call the diversity of actors that operates in the field: sites managers, experts, practitioners, researchers, artists etc to participate bringing their practice and experiences. Contributions may include pilot projects, experimental practices, governance models, creative entrepreneurship, capacity building programmes, and initiatives for territorial regeneration. The Foundation acts as coordinator and international connector, offering methodological support, dissemination, networking opportunities, and intergenerational dialogue.
Broadcasting from Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Officina reaffirms a central tenet, peace is not only a priority but a precondition for travelling, meeting, and sharing humanity’s heritage. The ultimate ambition is to contribute to building an “Industry of Peace”, an ecosystem of practices, skills, and economic models that transform dialogue into social, cultural, and economic value.
STORYTELLATHON_2027.pdfStorytellathon: The youth-dedicated programme
Within this broader framework, Storytellathon 2027 serves as the youth dedicated programme of the Officina. It invites high school and university students to imagine and present creative cultural itineraries that transform local heritage into narratives capable of inspiring conscious and intercultural travel. In an increasingly interconnected world, the initiative recognises that heritage—natural, tangible, and intangible—should not only be preserved but shared through stories that allow travellers to experience places in a deeper, more respectful way.
Storytellathon encourages students to explore territories, traditions, and communities, transforming them into engaging stories that highlight local identity and create emotional connections between visitors and places. Participants are not required to produce fully developed itineraries; instead, they are invited to present creative pitches—visions that inspire new ways of experiencing places and cultures. These narratives may take the form of geographic itineraries unfolding within a defined area, or thematic itineraries connecting distant locations through a shared cultural thread. Each proposal must include points of interest—physical sites, craftsmanship, intangible heritage—integrated into a coherent narrative and presented through a short video pitch in English.
The initiative offers young participants international visibility, practical skills in storytelling and territorial communication, and the opportunity to present their work in Florence before an audience of experts in heritage and tourism. Storytellathon draws inspiration from Luoghi Parlanti (Talking Places), a project that uses storytelling, technology, and participation to give voice to communities and transform travel into shared cultural discovery.
A global call to action
Together, the Heritage for Building Peace Appeal, the Officina 2027, and Storytellathon 2027 form a unified ecosystem that positions heritage as a driver of dialogue, non extractive development, and shared value. The Appeal provides the ethical foundation; the Officina offers the professional and operational tools; and Storytellathon empowers youth to narrate territories and inspire conscious travel. Through this integrated approach, the Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco – Life Beyond Tourism® invites the tourism sector to embrace a model in which heritage is not only preserved but activated—where travel becomes an opportunity to meet, understand, and build peace.
The Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco – Life Beyond Tourism® warmly invites all readers, institutions, tourism professionals, students, and community actors to take part in this global effort. Endorsing the Heritage for Building Peace 2025 Appeal means joining a worldwide network that believes in heritage as a pathway to dialogue, cooperation, and non extractive development. Participating in the International Officina for the Culture of Dialogue 2027 or in Storytellathon 2027 offers the opportunity to contribute directly to this vision, sharing practices, ideas, and narratives that can inspire more conscious, inclusive, and intercultural forms of travel.
Those who work in tourism know better than anyone that every encounter can open a door, every journey can build a bridge, and every destination can become a space for understanding. This is the moment to transform that awareness into action. We invite you to endorse the Appeal, to share your experience at the Officina, or to support and mentor young storytellers in the Storytellathon. Together, we can help shape an international movement where heritage is not only preserved, but activated—where travel becomes an opportunity to meet, widespread the Culture of Dialogue, and build Peace.
Author: Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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