Grow Mobile

Implementation of innovation mobile applications boosting the development of innovative services in the tourism sector

Project objectives

The main goal of Grow Mobile is the development of customized services (mobile applications and integrated destination management platforms) to facilitate easy access to cultural heritage sites, provide better information for tourists about leisure activities in a region and offer smart solutions for travelling in rural areas in four regions in Bulgaria, Croatia and Germany.

By setting up networks of public authorities and demonstrating the potential for implementation, Europe-wide, of the services and business models developed in the project, Grow Mobile aims to promote a broad uptake of innovative mobile services that help address social challenges. In this way, the project will increase the knowledge base to facilitate large-scale service offers that are dynamic, scalable and replicable and can be implemented and sustained through public-private partnerships. 

Activities

As the first step, the Grow Mobile partners will carry out an analysis of the framework conditions of the tourism sector in their respective regions and of good practices and experience from other European regions. On this basis, they will define the technical and content requirements for the large-scale demonstrators.
Then, in the regions of Leipzig (Germany) and Varna (Bulgaria), mobile applications will be developed, while in the regions of Kyustendil (Bulgaria) and Međimurje (Croatia), integrated destination management platforms will be set up. 
During the pilot implementation of the large-scale demonstrators, training for stakeholders and operators will be offered, based on training guidelines jointly developed by the partners. 
Throughout this entire process, the so-called Grow Mobile Task Force will monitor the implementation and effects of the established services, organise workshops to showcase the services and carry out promotional activities.

Actors involved (as representatives of stakeholders on a regional and national level)

The actors involved in the Grow Mobile project include regional administrations, service providers from  cultural industries, tourism stakeholders and entrepreneurs (especially SMEs). The Grow Mobile partners will also engage with a wider audience of public and private stakeholders to establish a public-private partnership.

Expected outcomes and impacts

At the end of the project, the partners will have obtained a thorough understanding of the requirements, needs and potential of their regions in terms of innovative services in the tourism sector.  A good practice catalogue will foster the improvement of the business support systems in the partner regions, and  specifically developed destination management systems and  mobile tourist services will have  positive impact on local businesses as well as on  tourists visiting the regions.

"How to Grow" partners

	Website	Name of organisation	Region / Country
	www.aufbauwerk-leipzig.com	Aufbauwerk Region Leipzig GmbH	Saxony/Germany
Short description of key activities	Project coordinator, supporting international transfer of experience, implementation of mobile application
	www.ini-novation.com	INI-Novation GmbH	Hessen/Germany
Short description of key activities	Development of business models, organizational structures and strategies for the targeted destination management system
	www.redea.hr	REDEA – Regional Development Agency Međimurje	Cakovec/Croatia
Short description of key activities	Implementation of destination management system, awareness raising, training of stakeholders in Croatia
	kn.government.bg	Regional Government Kyustendil	Kyustendil/Bulgaria
Short description of key activities	Implementation of destination management system, awareness raising, training of stakeholders in the region of Kyustendil
	www.varna.bg	Municipality of Varna	Varna/Bulgaria
Short description of key activities	Implementation of mobile application, awareness raising, training of stakeholders in the region of Varna