A delegation from the SHIFT Coimbra – Coimbra Sustainable Tourism Large Language Models project was in Salamanca on September 3 and 4 to present the work developed in Coimbra and reinforce cooperation between the two cities in the field of sustainable and smart tourism. The mission was led by councilor Luís Francisco Filipe and took place within the framework of the knowledge transfer component of the project, funded by the European Urban Initiative (EUI), an instrument of the European Union cohesion policy supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
The delegation was received at the Ayuntamiento de Salamanca by councilors Carmen Seguín and César Gómez-Barthe, responsible for Tourism and Trade. Coimbra and Salamanca are twinned cities that share UNESCO heritage recognition, as well as common challenges associated with managing highly visited historic centers, heritage valorization, and tourism experience qualification.
During the visit, SHIFT Coimbra actions were identified with potential to be adapted and replicated in Salamanca, while the delegation learned about practices from the Spanish city that could be applied in Coimbra. Among the practices analyzed were the night visit to UNESCO-classified heritage and the Ieronimus experience, a route through the towers of Salamanca Cathedral. The delegation also visited the Porto Seco of Salamanca and the Tormes+ project, dedicated to digital inclusion and training in the neighborhoods on the other side of the Tormes river.
Salamanca is one of the three partner cities for transfer of SHIFT Coimbra, together with Iasi, in Romania, and Padua, in Italy. The project brings together eight partners and aims to promote sustainable and digital transformation of tourism in Coimbra and the region, linking heritage, technology, qualification, innovation, and sustainability.
