CISET, the International Centre of Studies on Tourism Economics, was set up in 1991 by Ca’ Foscari University Venice, the Veneto Regional Government and the Italian Touring Club with the aim to have a research center focused on tourism-related studies.
The approach adopted is based on a strong synergy between research studies and consultancy services and on the Centre experience in tertiary education and management training.
CISET is a member of the Business Council of UNWTO (United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation), a founding member of INRouTe (a network of international experts on Sub-National Measurement and Economic Analysis of Tourism), and, through its staff, member of the Enter Conference Scientific Committee and of BTO – Buy Tourism Online Scientific Board.
The composition of CISET team and its multidisciplinary competences and skills (statistics, tourism economics, tourism management, etc.) meet the technical and professional capacity criteria required by the project. The core of CISET expertise is focused on six key areas:
• Market intelligence and demand analysis (e.g., data collection and management through the application of different methodologies; support to Eurostat, UNWTO, etc. in the field of tourism statistics.; setting up of tourism observatories; market analyses and demand segmentation);
• Innovation technologies (e.g., IT impact on business models; guidelines for integrated information platforms; web users’ profiling also using neuromarketing techniques)
• Business performance analysis and support to SMEs (e.g., analysis of business performance and of key variables for successful management and profitability; support to the creation of business networks; planning of specific training programs for tourism SMEs).
• Tourism impacts, sustainability and responsibility (analysis of tourists’ consumption behaviour and of tourism economic contribution at national, regional and local level; analysis and implementation of systems to assess the sustainability and responsibility of businesses and destinations);
• Destinations, networks and mobility (e.g., identification and analysis of key competitive factors of a tourism destination; monitoring of destination performance; marketing and development plans).
• Culture and Tourism (e.g., demand studies; strategies to enhance and promote attractions; management strategies for cultural sites and art cities).
Regarding in particular business support services/activities to SMEs and start-ups, CISET has been working on these topics since its foundation, both providing consultancy support and training, upon direct request of the business itself, or of business associations, or through action research and training projects sponsored by public bodies. The aspect of management CISET has worked on is wide in scope:
- Assessing and analysing their performance from the financial point of view (2004 for local business associations and the Veneto Regional Government) and other projects on demand).
- Defining business development plans implementing process re-engineering, especially regarding the management of introduction of Artificial Intelligence in SMEs, business model innovation.
- Designing business model innovation.
- Innovating tourist products.
- Developing business networks and cluster creation.
- Start-up development.
- Managing business succession and transfer of knowledge
Since the 90ies CISET has also been studying the impact of ICT on tourism business and the cutting-edge innovation in the field. In 2015 CISET started working on neuromarketing, particularly applied to tourist website analysis. Since then, it has kept cooperating with a start up the Centre helped creating on this theme, and also assisted destination websites in assessing and re-designing their websites (Bibione, Pisa) and run courses to introduce neuromarketing to consultants and tourism professionals in different areas in Italy.