The SECreTOUR initiatives named Beyond Borders run successfully from 22 to 25 October 2025.

On the first day (22/10/2025), the partners of SECreTOUR met with representives of the sister projects that participate in the Cluster: CULTURALITY, CROCUS and TOURAL to discuss and plan the next joint events in 2026-2027 and to address the key question of the sustainability of their network.

Cluster meeting: SECreTOUR, CULTURALITY, CROCUS and TOURAL

The day was completed in the evening with a very interesting presentation of the case of Planhotel Resorts and Hotels on the theme of “Food, Tourism and Hospitality: how do they fit together”.

Keynote: “Food, Tourism and Hopitality: how do they fit together” by Sara Rosso Cipollini and Carmine Garzia

On the second day (23/10/2025), the public workshop on Cross-Border Collaboration and Macro-Regions for Cultural Tourism was held at the Swiss Diamond Hotel “La Romantica”, member of the SECreTOUR Network of Common Interest and organiser of the SECreTOUR Botanical Garden ispired by the rich biodiversity of Monte San Giorgio.

SECreTOUR Botanical Garden at Swiss Diamond Hotel, Meride

The wonderful location was made available to host a very successful meeting where projects’ partners, international institutions, policy makers and local stakeholders presented their views about sustainable tourism in rural destinations and the challenges of cross-border promotion.

Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni of USI is opening the SECreTOUR workshop

On the third day (24/10/2025), the participants in the workshop visited the sites of the Monte San Giorgio SECreTOUR pilot following the Miraculous Catch itinerary, developed through a crossing border path that started in Riva San Vitale and Meride (in Switzerland) to Porto Ceresio (in Italy), and eventually the arrived to Morcote (back to Switzerland).

Riva San Vitale

Historic houses in Meride

Starting of the trail from Meride to the top of Monte San Giorgio

On the border between Switzerland and Italy

Arrival to Morcote

The Municipality of Morcote, member of the SECreTOUR Network of Common Interest, hosted at the end of the day a lively encounter with local stakeholders where the integrated plan promoted by the Municipality was confronted with challenges and results connected with concrete innovative initiatives carried out by local enterprises.

Encounter with stakeholders hosted by the Municipality of Morcote

On the fourth day (25/10/2025), the Beyond Borders Hackathon took place in Lugano, organised by SECreTOUR in collaboration with Europeana, Photoconsortium International Association, the UNESCO Chair of the Università della Svizzera Italiana in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites and the UNESCO Chair of the University of Genoa in Anthropology of Health, Biosphere and Healing Systems, all members of the SECreTOUR Network of Common Interest. Two groups of students met with representatives of SECreTOUR partners and experts from USI to use the images taken from the europeana.eu platform to design new creative applications. In a few hours they were able to present to the appointed international Jury very interesting approaches, where physical and digital interactions have been proposed to promote cultural experiences in rural destinations.

Beyond Borders Hacakthon: participants, international jury members and organisers

SECreTOUR is a research and innovation action funded under the Horizon Europe Programme of the EU.

Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.