Following the public demonstration of the EUreka3D-XR project’s Virtual and Mixed Reality tools and digital cultural heritage asset reuse held at the Monastery of St. Neophytos, Talla, Cyprus, we were delighted to be invited back by the Archimandrite just 12 days later to demonstrate the interactive exhibit once again.
As part of the 21st Meeting of the Pilgrimage Tours Office of the Church of Cyprus involving the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus, representatives from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Pilgrimage Tours Office of the Church of Cyprus and the Paphos Development Organisation, members of the Digital Cultural Heritage Research Centre MNEMOSYNE were invited to participate presenting the results of the Cyprus case study developed in collaboration with MIRALab, Switzerland as part of the EUreka3D-XR project, outlaying the potential benefits of capitalising on digital assets and tools for visitor engagement and valorisation of heritage. Attendees were also able to experience both installations in the Enkleistra itself and discuss technical possibilities for using innovative visitor experiences in their own contexts. Additionally, a small number of tourists visiting the monastery were able to use the two implementations and provide their thoughts directly to the delegates.
The monastery is currently investigating how the two applications can be integrated into the monastery’s museum on a permanent basis to enhance visitor experience and increase their touristic offering as part of a wider initiative to adopt new technologies within religious cultural tourism on the Paphos region.
