BLOCCHI

The project aims to build and test a blockchain-based platform to support the tourism sector, particularly to encourage travel to lesser-known locations and activities in mountainous areas. The tokenization capability offered by blockchain technology enables the creation of an incentive system to encourage tourists to visit less-known mountain places and make purchases at local businesses offering typical and zero-mile products. The project's starting point will be the CommonsHood blockchain platform developed by the project leader at the University of Turin.

CommonsHood is a wallet app that allows citizens, institutions, and merchants to create new types of cryptographic tokens from templates without technical knowledge, using a no-code approach. It enables the creation of tokens representing assets such as customer loyalty tools (discount coupons, cashback), crowdfunding tools (crowdsales), NFTs, and complementary currencies.

CommonsHood is integrated with FirstLife, a georeferenced civic social network, an interactive map also developed by the project leader, which can be used to discover and share the tourist resources and opportunities offered by a city or region. It allows interaction with visitors, for instance, by signaling events that might interest them.

The challenge addressed is to increase tourist flows in mountainous areas, particularly in lesser-known zones, by offering economic incentives to tourists and giving local businesses and other stakeholders the ability to create a blockchain-based economic ecosystem.

The project will lead to an increase in the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) of the platform applied to the new field of tourism and the evaluation of the establishment of an academic spin-off. The spin-off's business model will be based on the sale of tokens and collaboration with tourism stakeholders.