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Engaging with digital heritage requires understanding not only to comprehend what is simulated but also the reasons leading to its creation and curation, and how to ensure both the digital media and the significance of the cultural heritage it portrays are passed on effectively, meaningfully, and appropriately. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization defines ‘digital heritage’ to comprise of computer-based materials of enduring value some of which require active preservation strategies to maintain them for years to come.

With the proliferation of digital technologies and digital media, computer games have increasingly been seen as not only depicters of cultural heritage and platforms for virtual heritage scholarship and dissemination but also as digital cultural artefacts worthy of preservation. In this chapter, we examine how games (both digital and non-digital) can communicate cultural heritage in a galleries, libraries, archives, and museums [GLAM] setting. We also consider how they can and have been used to explore, communicate, and preserve heritage and, in particular, Indigenous heritage. Despite their apparently transient and ephemeral nature, especially compared to conventional media such as books, we argue computer games can be incorporated into active preservation approaches to digital heritage. Indeed, they may be of value to cultural heritage that needs to be not only viewed but also viscerally experienced or otherwise performed.

To understand the experiences, expectations and suggestions of digital nomads towards intangible cultural heritage in the places they travel.

The qualitative research method was used and the research design is a phenomenological design. Multiple qualitative research design steps were followed in obtaining the research data. In this context, online interviews were conducted with a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers, and the social media accounts of digital nomads were monitored. The sample consists of nine digital nomads who were interviewed online and five digital nomads whose videos and comments shared on social media were monitored. The inductive thematic analysis method was used to analyse the data.

It was found that digital nomads experience intangible cultural heritage elements, especially religious rituals and food culture, and actively participate in activities and rituals related to these elements as well as sharing them on their social media accounts. It was also concluded that the participants expected to work towards the protection of intangible cultural heritage elements through a number of activities such as awareness-raising and education, and that it is difficult to experience cultural heritage in societies that are not foreign-friendly.

The data were obtained from volunteer participants consisting of digital nomads and digital nomads who shared their experiences on social media. It is suggested that traditional food and religious rituals as intangible cultural heritage should be promoted and transferred by sharing the experiences these digital nomads on digital platforms.

Religious rituals and food cultures are prominent in the ICH experiences of digital nomads. Digital nomads who stay longer in their destination than tourists can play an intermediary role in promoting and transmitting this heritage. The social media and other digital platforms enable digital nomads to share their experiences of cultural heritage and create a global dialogue and understanding through these experiences.

The experiences and expectations of digital nomads towards ICH require a reassessment of traditional approaches to the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage. By experiencing different cultural heritages and sharing these experiences through digital platforms, digital nomads contribute to the reinterpretation and reproduction of cultural heritage. This process reveals that cultural heritage is not limited to a particular community or geography, but is rather a global phenomenon, and therefore needs to be addressed from a global perspective.

It is one of the pioneering studies on the experiences of digital nomads towards intangible cultural heritage.

The purpose of this study is to address the challenges faced by rural areas and promote their sustainable development. It emphasizes the importance of re-establishing connections and cultivating a sense of belonging within rural communities, while safeguarding their cultural heritage. The study explores the potential of digital and creative tools in enhancing learning, supporting food production and tourism, facilitating research and providing engaging experiences. It also examines the economic condition of rural areas and the potential for their contribution to the national economy. Additionally, the study highlights the significance of sustainable community development, the role of rural areas in resilience and climate change adaptation and the complexities surrounding rural migration. The aim is to provide insights and recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders involved in rural development initiatives, focusing on the Mediterranean region.

This study develops an understanding of the role of digital and creative strategies in rural communities, highlighting their significance in preserving food heritage, culture and community capital while driving economic development. It specifically focuses on the Unesco Intangible Mediterranean Diet (UIMD) as a potential catalyst for regeneration through the integration of creative and digital tools and three cases are presented. The first is the impact of the Future Food Institute (FFI) ecosystem in the Living Lab in Pollica (Salerno, Italy); the second focuses on the digital tools provided by the CKF to support rural areas; and the third is a new identity and promotion of territorial development, co-designed in the Val di Vara (VdV) a rural region of the Ligurian inland in Italy, through digital strategies, heritage preservation and slow tourism development. The three cases highlight different ways of enhancing environmental and cultural heritage and demonstrate how collaborative creativity and digital tools contribute to the co-construction of knowledge and addressing critical issues to promote sustainable growth in rural areas.

The findings of this study indicate that re-establishing connections and fostering a sense of belonging within rural communities is crucial for their sustainable development. The use of digital and creative tools presents significant opportunities in enhancing various aspects such as learning, food production, tourism and research in rural areas. The study also reveals the potential economic contributions of rural areas to the national economy. It emphasizes the importance of sustainable community development and highlights the role of rural areas in resilience and climate change adaptation. Additionally, the study addresses the complexities surrounding rural migration and emphasizes the need for comprehensive policies to ensure the well-being and rights of migrant workers. The insights and recommendations provided in this study aim to guide policymakers and stakeholders involved in rural development initiatives, particularly in the Mediterranean region.

Nonetheless, it is imperative to acknowledge certain limitations within the scope of this study, primarily associated with the specific sample selection, potentially influencing the broader applicability of the findings. There is potential to explore a wider geographic area in future research. Additionally, the research underscores the importance of conducting further inquiries into certain aspects that have received limited attention. Living labs are a relatively recent phenomenon, warranting further in-depth scientific research. Additionally, the existing literature on this subject is often limited in scope.

The study and project aim to illustrate the feasibility of initiating a transformative process, centered on a visionary approach with a core focus on creative knowledge and the Mediterranean diet as a way of life, to revitalize marginalized communities. Furthermore, it seeks to emphasize that these neglected regions possess untapped potential for innovative ideas and opportunities. Rural communities, in their role as farmers of primary goods, are the ones who nurture the environment, and the landscape, and are the true protagonists of every era. Rurality is the place that preserves the most resources and potential in terms of biodiversity and rural knowledge. Every territory, like every human being, has its own characteristics and vocations to pursue. The existing Genius Loci is already an existing value that requires policies and governance to rediscover roots, identity and worth. The stratification of existing collective intelligence must become central and must be individually assessed and enhanced, also taking advantage of new digital technologies.

The social implications of this study are significant. By emphasizing the importance of re-establishing connections and cultivating a sense of belonging within rural communities, the study recognizes the social value of strong community ties. This can lead to increased social cohesion, a sense of identity and improved overall well-being within rural areas. The study also highlights the potential of digital and creative tools in enhancing learning, which can contribute to the empowerment and educational opportunities of individuals in rural communities. Furthermore, by promoting sustainable community development and addressing the complexities surrounding rural migration, the study acknowledges the social impact of inclusive policies that protect the rights and well-being of both local populations and migrant workers. Overall, the study's recommendations have the potential to foster social resilience, equity and a more vibrant social fabric within rural areas.

This study can offer valuable insights and recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders involved in rural development initiatives, particularly those focused on preserving food and cultural heritage in rural areas. By analyzing real-life examples, it bridges the gap between theory and practice, illustrating how these ideas have been effectively applied in specific contexts. This paper emphasizes the potential of the Mediterranean Diet as a sustainable and nutritious model with sociocultural, health, economic and environmental benefits, highlighting the importance of bottom-up approaches that empower local communities as custodians of knowledge and culture. It also provides practical strategies, such as investments in educational programs, the establishment of international campuses and the use of multichannel platforms for immersive experiences, which can be adapted for broader rural development initiatives, promoting sustainability and community engagement.

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the digital development and utilization of China’s intangible cultural heritage resources, research on the theft of intangible cultural heritage resources and knowledge integration based on linked data is proposed to promote the standardized description of intangible cultural heritage knowledge and realize the digital dissemination and development of intangible cultural heritage.

In this study, firstly, the knowledge organization theory and semantic Web technology are used to describe the intangible cultural heritage digital resource objects in metadata specifications. Secondly, the ontology theory and technical methods are used to build a conceptual model of the intangible cultural resources field and determine the concept sets and hierarchical relationships in this field. Finally, the semantic Web technology is used to establish semantic associations between intangible cultural heritage resource knowledge.

The study findings indicate that the knowledge organization of intangible cultural heritage resources constructed in this study provides a solution for the digital development of intangible cultural heritage in China. It also provides semantic retrieval with better knowledge granularity and helps to visualize the knowledge content of intangible cultural heritage.

This study summarizes and provides significant theoretical and practical value for the digital development of intangible cultural heritage and the resource description and knowledge fusion of intangible cultural heritage can help to discover the semantic relationship of intangible cultural heritage in multiple dimensions and levels.

The conceptualization of smart emerged by technological advancements penetrated the tourism industry with the pace of globalization transformed the destinations providing digitalized products. Even though smart tourism destinations are initiated by advanced technologies, the notion evolved in embracing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project economic, social, and environmental proliferation. A tourism destination is counted as “smart” which provides advanced technologies to improve the quality of tourists' experiences and enhance the residents' quality of life. The structure of a smart tourism destination is established on four basic pillars that cover technology, innovation, accessibility, and sustainability issues. Designating the notion of smart into tourism destinations is extremely vital since the shifting paradigm of tourists’ demands concern sustainability. The development of smart in a tourism destination is a crucial concern for destination management organizations (DMOs) integrating key destination components with the dimensions of a smart city to enhance the tourists' satisfaction and competitiveness of the destination. Therefore, one aim of this chapter is to elucidate the association between key destination components with the dimensions of a smart city to reveal the related smart tourism destination applications. Moreover, cultural heritage in smart tourism destinations forms an important part of tourism both with its tangible and intangible resources which have been involved in the emergent era of digitalization inevitably with all parties and processes. Hence, another aim of this chapter is to examine the dimensional shift in cultural heritage tourism within the framework of digitalization. Sharing cases of digitization of cultural heritage from different parts of the world, this chapter also reflects that it is inevitable to benefit from digitization and ICTs in order to reach the SDGs on the scale of smart tourism destinations. Analysis of academic publications and the national and international reports of the related authorities sums the methodology used to conclude the study with suggestions of future research paths to develop the field.

This article examines curatorial practices, both traditional and digital, in the Guizhou Provincial Museum’s ethnic exhibition to assess their effectiveness in representing ethnic minority cultures, fostering learning and inspiring curiosity about ethnic textiles and costumes and associated cultures. It also explores audience expectations concerning digital technology use in future exhibitions.

A mixed-methods approach was employed, where visitor data were collected through questionnaires, together with interviews with expert, museum professionals and ethnic minority textile practitioners. Their expertise proved instrumental in shaping the design of the study and enhancing the overall visitor experience, and thus fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of ethnic minority cultures.

Visitors were generally satisfied with the exhibition, valuing their educational experience on ethnic textiles and cultures. There is a notable demand for more immersive digital technologies in museum exhibitions. The study underscores the importance of participatory design with stakeholders, especially ethnic minority groups, for genuine and compelling cultural representation.

This study delves into the potentials of digital technologies in the curation of ethnic minority textiles, particularly for enhancing education and cultural communication. Ethnic textiles and costumes provide rich sensory experience, and they carry deep cultural significance, especially during festive occasions. Our findings bridge this gap; they offer insights for museums aiming to deepen the visitor experiences and understanding of ethnic cultures through the use of digital technologies.

Rural tourism facilities in Poland were very keen on amateur websites to promote their hospitality services from 2000 to 2018. In most cases, the websites were nonprofessional, hosted on free servers and made by family members or friends of the holding. After search engine algorithms changed in 2015–2019, the websites started to go extinct on a large scale; they were deleted and often replaced with a more modern design and a commercial domain. These resources offered a rare opportunity to gain insight into rural tourism, rural changes and socioeconomic and cultural phenomena.

The paper’s objective is to demonstrate with an analysis of archived Polish rural tourism websites that digital cultural artefacts are generated in rural areas. The study was an analysis of selected development attributes of rural tourism websites found in the Internet Archive. The analysis involved those attributes that are important for determining whether a website or content can be considered digital cultural heritage assets.

The conclusions demonstrate that rural digital cultural heritage is a set of digital artefacts created in rural areas with their characteristics. Rural digital artefacts are records of ICT, infrastructure, environmental, cultural and socioeconomic changes.

The “digital assets” of rural areas are yet to be discussed in the context of rural cultural heritage, as a set of artefacts created in these areas and characteristic of them.

This study aims to explore how libraries in the United Arab Emirates use technology to preserve and digitize cultural and historical documents. It examined how these institutions use different technology models to facilitate the dissemination of UAE’s cultural traditions, practices, historical experiences and expressions to the local and global populations interested in learning about the country.

This study relied heavily on a review of the relevant literature and case studies covering how UAE libraries use technology to preserve, document and share tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The methodology entailed gathering and synthesizing relevant information from scholarly journal articles, government and reputable institutional resources online and reports. Collectively, it led to a close analysis of the impact of technology on cultural preservation and an assessment of the specific technology models preferred for optimal outcomes in preserving and disseminating cultural heritage information of the UAE.

Multiple UAE libraries rely heavily on technology to collect, record, translate and store cultural heritage information, including releasing it to users when required. The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates, the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive, Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, the UAE National Library and Archives, New York University Abu Dhabi and Khalifa University of Science and Technology and Research libraries have leveraged different technological models and tools to make UAE’s cultural heritage information available and accessible globally. Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, three-dimensional imaging and scanning, electronic archiving systems, document management systems and ICT storage systems have helped the UAE libraries to promote and disseminate the nation’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

By relying on scholarly and authoritative sources of information and evidence to draw conclusions, this study contributes to the existing literature by offering insights into the innovative strategies used by UAE libraries to leverage technology for cultural preservation and promotion. In underlining the value of digital approaches to safeguard tangible and intangible cultural heritage, the research highlights the instrumentalism of technology in preserving the UAE’s cultural heritage and identity.

The evolving visitors' expectations and the unfolding digital transformation compel rethinking on the service offering of museums and cultural institutions. Although digitalization and people-centeredness are widely exploited to enhance the visiting experience, there is limited evidence of their implications on organizational attractiveness. The article investigates this issue, examining the service attributes that entice visitors.

The study collected secondary data from the latest census study by the Italian Institute of Statistics on museums and cultural institutions. Two hierarchical regression models have been run on a sample of large publicly owned organizations (n = 312) to identify the service factors that were most effective in attracting Italian and foreign visitors.

Museums and cultural institutions undergoing a digital transformation were more effective in attracting visitors. The delivery of virtual tours and online events captivated the Italian audience. Foreigners appreciated the opportunity to use applications augmenting the on-site visit.

Digitalization and people-centeredness improve the attractiveness of museums and cultural institutions. Using digital channels to engage visitors fosters their desire to interact with cultural heritage. Furthermore, digitalization enriches the on-site visit, expanding conventional services with virtuality. However, the adverse effects on cultural heritage should be carefully handled.

This study highlights the service attributes that add to the attractiveness of museums and cultural institutions, enabling them to engage visitors and improve the visiting experience.

Online/Digital cultural heritage platforms have the potential to serve as empowering sites and tools for democratic participation, and for promoting social cohesion, acting as convergence points for diverse societal groups. They enable the gathering of multiple voices, including those of minorities and groups often marginalised in mainstream cultural heritage documentation. This research paper examines the ways in which these aspirations of cultural heritage platforms as meeting, learning and dialogic spaces for connecting and empowering online communities have been realised.

Using a qualitative design, interviews were conducted with users of New Zealand’s Auckland War Memorial Museum’s Online Cenotaph. Participants shared their experiences with the platform, perceptions of it as a collective social history resource and views on its role as a participatory space for online communities. They also discussed their expectations for its development as an online space for collective memorialisation.

Interviews revealed that users value Online Cenotaph for placing personal, publicly contributed memories and narratives alongside primary military sources. Participants expressed feelings of civic responsibility, social awareness and a sense of identity and connection through their use and contribution to this online commemorative space. The shift from a one-way flow of information from the Museum towards embracing public contribution embodying a high-trust approach, was a notable finding.

This research underscores the evolving role of museums and other GLAM institutions in recognising the importance of inclusivity, diversity and community participation. It provides insights into how digital cultural heritage social platforms can contribute towards these goals and promote social cohesion. This research is also a starting point for further studies on crowdsourcing and social Web activities on digital cultural heritage platforms as sites of community building through public participation and engagement in historical/cultural heritage narratives.