Tourism StoryLAB ®
researching and applying the power of narrative communication and storytellingThe art and science of narrative communication and storytelling are indispensable for those responsible for managing and marketing tourism destinations and heritage sites.
Strategy development, stakeholder alignment, heritage interpretation, visitor experience design, branding and content development: the application of story assists in several ways and enriches communications.
The Tourism StoryLAB is dedicated to the exchange of knowledge – research results and best practices – of narrative communication.
It allows us to inspire and educate organisations and assist them in developing storytelling and narrative management skills.
The Tourism StoryLAB was established in 2013. It is a registered trademark.
Strategy and Story MasterClass
In-company | Dutch or English
A highly focused knowledge and skills master class on the art and science of storytelling and narrative communication by Karin Elgin & Co.lleagues.
The master class will empower you to:
- Understand your city, community or heritage site as a storyscape
- Develop a master story for your organisation, destination or heritage site
- Adopt a narrative approach to strategy and brand development
- Storify service design and visitor experience development
- Incorporate story in content creation and copywriting
- Apply canvasses and Design Thinking methods.
Now available
Handbook on Heritage, Sustainable Tourism and Digital Media (2022)
Editors: Silvia De Ascaniis and Lorenzo Cantoni,
USI – Università della Svizzera italiana, UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites, Lugano, Switzerland.
Includes the chapter:
“Digital media can CONNECT residents, visitors, and heritage”
about heritage interpretation and storytelling.
Authors: Silvia De Ascaniis and Karin Elgin-Nijhuis
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 978 1 78897 007 5
Related projects
a selection
Zeeland Heritage Lines
March 2023 | Research and story-based visitor experience development for the Province of Zeeland, Zeeland Heritage and partners.
Assisting Visit Flanders
June 2020 | Research and advice on the potential of specific periods in history for destination marketing, using a narrative approach to strategy and planning.
Teaching & Mentoring
November 2019 | Teaching destination branding and marketing, narrative communication and storytelling at GUtech in Oman and learning from students’ stories.
EU Interreg Project CUPIDO
Maart 2019 | A narrative approach to the EU Interreg North Sea Region Project “Culture Power: Inspire to Develop Rural Areas”.
Narratives for a World in Transition
September 2017 | “Narratives for a World in Transition”: the theme of the Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality, 3rd International Conference, HTHIC2017, Finland.
The Value of Narrative Elements
February 2015 | RSM/EUR trainee Saskia Schäfer assisted us in testing the effect of the narrative element “Return with the Elixer” in travel writing.
ICOMOS & Storytelling
November 2018 | A most interesting Annual Contact Day of ICOMOS Netherlands and ICOMOS Flanders-Brussels in Middelburg on “Heritage, Tourism and Storytelling”.