Project title: ALTER TRIP – Alternative Touristic Experience
Programme: Interreg IPA CBC Programme Greece – Republic of North Macedonia 2014–2020
Implementation period: From July 2021
Project overview
The ALTER TRIP – Alternative Touristic Experience project was designed to enhance the accessibility, inclusiveness, and overall attractiveness of the cross-border area between Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia as a heritage-based tourism destination. It sought to improve the visitor experience for elderly persons and persons with disabilities, while simultaneously strengthening the visibility and sustainable use of local cultural and natural resources.
Within this framework GAUSS Institute – Foundation for New Technologies, Innovations and Knowledge Transfer – acted as a subcontracted expert institution to the NGO Mobilnost Bitola. The Institute contributed to the design and implementation of pilot actions in Bitola that operationalised the project’s broader objectives through concrete measures in the fields of accessible tourism, digital innovation, and public awareness.
Role of GAUSS Institute
In ALTER TRIP, GAUSS Institute provided specialized expertise in accessible tourism, digital tools, and inclusive interpretation of cultural heritage. Acting as a local implementation partner through a subcontracting arrangement, the Institute was responsible for conceptualising, preparing and delivering a coherent set of pilot measures in Bitola, in close cooperation with the lead beneficiary and other project partners.
The role of GAUSS Institute encompassed:
- Translating project objectives into locally relevant interventions in the historic urban environment of Bitola.
- Ensuring that physical and digital access solutions complied with relevant accessibility standards and good practices (including WCAG 2.1 for digital content).
- Supporting partner organisations and local stakeholders in communicating the benefits and concrete opportunities of accessible tourism to citizens, visitors and the tourism sector.
Key activities
GAUSS Institute implemented two main pilot projects in Bitola, complemented by targeted communication and dissemination measures.
- Accessible onsite interpretation of cultural heritage
- Development and installation of tactile signage for ten key cultural and historical monuments in Bitola.
- Each sign integrated tactile images and maps, Braille text, QR codes and GPS-linked information, mounted on durable stainless-steel pedestals placed directly in front of the monuments.
- The solution was designed to facilitate independent orientation and understanding of the sites by persons with visual impairments and other visitors with specific access needs.
- Digital tourist guide for accessible heritage tourism
- Design and implementation of a digital tourist guide (web and mobile) covering the same ten monuments.
- The content and interface were prepared in line with WCAG 2.1 accessibility principles, allowing users to obtain detailed information on each monument, the route between them and the level of physical accessibility.
- The guide aimed to integrate accessible information into mainstream tourism promotion, supporting both visitors and local service providers.
- Accessible printed materials and public awareness
- Preparation and printing of an accessible tourist guide in Braille, produced in Macedonian, English and Greek on tactile paper, to serve as a permanent resource for visitors with visual impairments.
- Realisation of a local awareness and media campaign in Bitola, including paid articles in electronic and printed media, social media promotion and public dissemination of project results.
- The communication efforts highlighted the importance of accessibility as a core dimension of quality tourism and encouraged local stakeholders to adopt inclusive approaches in their own practice.
Results and impact
Through the pilot measures implemented in Bitola, GAUSS Institute contributed to a measurable improvement in the accessibility and interpretability of the city’s cultural heritage offer. The combination of tactile onsite interpretation, an accessible digital guide and Braille materials enabled more inclusive access to information and experiences for persons with disabilities, while also enriching the overall visitor experience.
At the strategic level, the ALTER TRIP project supported the wider transformation of the cross-border area into a more inclusive and competitive tourism destination. GAUSS Institute’s contribution demonstrated how applied research, digital innovation and stakeholder engagement can be integrated into practical solutions for accessible tourism, providing a model that can be replicated in other municipalities in North Macedonia and beyond.
Main deliverables of GAUSS Institute
- Tactile signage system for ten major cultural and historical monuments in Bitola, combining tactile graphics, Braille information, QR codes and GPS-referenced content.
- Web- and mobile-based digital tourist guide for the same sites, prepared in accordance with WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.
- Accessible printed tourist guide in Braille in three languages (Macedonian, English and Greek).
- Local media and public awareness campaign on accessible tourism, including press articles, social media content and public dissemination activities.