En As part of the european project POST – Polycentric Sustainable Tourism, funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area 2021–2027 Programme, the Deputación de Ourense is organising a new collaborative innovation experience: the Smart Polycentric Tourism Hackathon.

The event invites young talents, professionals and entrepreneurs to come together in an ideas laboratory where they will collectively design innovative solutions to foster a more sustainable and intelligent tourism model. The aim is to unlock underused tourism resources and integrate culture, nature and the circular economy with the support of digital tools and sustainable methods.

A space to co-create the tourism of the future

This hackathon is conceived as a co-creation space in which participants will address diverse challenges such as the design of smart, multi-experience routes that combine history, nature and technology; cultural and rural gamification as a way of reinterpreting the territory; green and accessible mobility applied to tourism; the creation of territorial passports that promote responsible exploration through digital reward systems; and resilience to climate change and the recovery of landscapes affected by extreme phenomena. All with the same goal: to transform the way we conceive and practise tourism in Galicia and across the Atlantic Area.

The initiative will unfold in two complementary phases. Between 13 and 24 October, teams will work online with the support of mentors and experts, taking part in training and follow-up sessions that will culminate in the presentation of initial proposals. On 25 October, the Demoday will take place in Ourense: an intensive day in which selected projects will be prototyped, refined and presented before a professional jury, with the opportunity to validate ideas in real time and receive direct mentoring.

Participation

The hackathon will bring together 25 participants, organised into multidisciplinary teams of five, with profiles ranging from university and vocational training students to tourism professionals, tech start-ups, entrepreneurs and local ecosystem actors. The best projects will be awarded up to €1,500 in prizes, as well as post-event mentoring, opportunities for funding, and the chance to pilot within the innovation ecosystem of Area101.

Application deadline: 10 October

More information and registration: https://101area.com/hackaton_ourense/