Through the IUC programme, cities and regions across Europe have entered into partnerships on sustainable development with counterparts from around the globe. For a full list of city pairings so far, see the table below:
Both municipalities have prioritised sustainable tourism development to promote diversification of economic development. Alba Iulia addresses tourism in its strategy for smart city development, using, for example, apps and smart communication mechanisms that allow relevant information and stories to be accessible to tourists. Benedito Novo is keen to learn from Alba Iulia and ultimately to conduct a tourism-focused smart city pilot project. Alba Iulia will learn from Benedito Novo’s experience in tourism development, particularly its establishment of tourism routes that connect to other cities in the surroundings.
In Benedito Novo they will use these four tools/strategies:
Elaboration of a Smart Tourism Strategy (tools to control tourist flows, high seasons, etc.), Elaboration of a Branding Strategy, Market study & Story Telling and Digital products
While in Alba Lulia, they will use technical and political integration with other tourist cities in the region, establish a regional tourist route, and develop more communication tools.