Suleyman Demirel University Hosts Successful Testing for "Digital Tourism Experiences"

Isparta, Turkey - April 2024 - Suleyman Demirel University (SDU) recently concluded a highly successful local testing event for the "Digital Tourism Experiences" result which is tehe second output of Up Social Project.This event was designed to engage young entrepreneurs in tackling real-world challenges within the digital tourism sector, promoting innovation and practical skills development.

The event took place over several days in April 2024, beginning with an initial meeting on April 17th at SDU's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. The event drew 39 senior university students, aged between 20 and 22, who were enrolled in an entrepreneurship elective. The participants showed great enthusiasm, balancing their academic commitments to fully engage in this hands-on learning experience.

During the initial session, students were introduced to 20 digital tourism challenges, encompassing areas such as heritage preservation, ethical behavior, eco-friendly transportation, and digital storytelling. The event provided detailed descriptions and objectives for each challenge, along with the necessary digital tools to address them. Following this, participants had until April 28th to work on their selected challenges and submit their applications through an online platform.

SDU utilized a multifaceted approach to maximize engagement and learning outcomes, featuring:

• Experiential Learning: Direct engagement with real-world challenges.

• Gamification: Inclusion of role-playing, quests, and achievements to motivate participants.

• Personalization: Allowing students to select challenges that matched their interests.

• Collaborative Learning: Encouraging teamwork and effective communication.

• Real-world Application: Ensuring practical relevance to educational and career goals.

To accommodate participants' needs, several modifications were made, such as translating materials into Turkish to overcome language barriers and allowing task submissions in Turkish. Despite some participants facing time constraints due to exams and technical difficulties, the majority completed the full training cycle, producing impressive and varied outputs.

Participants created a range of outputs, including detailed event plans, promotional strategies, educational guides, and innovative solutions for digital tourism challenges. They used tools like Canva, Google Earth, and Microsoft PowerPoint to produce comprehensive documents, engaging presentations, and dynamic videos. Notably, some participants ventured into the metaverse, creating immersive virtual experiences to showcase their solutions.

The event highlighted significant improvements in participants' knowledge and skills related to digital tourism. Students gained insights into current trends and the importance of a digital presence for tourism businesses. The hands-on, practical approach was highly appreciated, making the activities engaging and youth-friendly.

Looking ahead, recommendations for further refining and scaling the training activities include providing multilingual support, offering interactive online platforms for challenge submissions, and creating detailed training videos to guide participants through the process.

"Digital Tourism Experiences" implemented at Süleyman Demirel University showed how educational institutions can develop innovation and practical skills among young entrepreneurs. By addressing real-world challenges and leveraging digital tools, participants not only improve their competencies but also contribute to the future of sustainable and digital tourism. This successful event empowers more young minds to make a positive impact on the tourism industry, paving the way for further development and expansion.