Open Call: Heritage Tourism Destinations for Holographic Postcards
Are you ready to create your own 3D cultural experience using cutting-edge AR technology to showcase the rich heritage of your tourist destination?
This call offers an exciting opportunity to showcase 3D cultural heritage models of your tourist destination, featuring an innovative AR hologram function in combination with popular physical tourist postcards. With just a mobile phone and a foldable hologram kit, destinations will transform existing 3D models into engaging and accessible holographic projections. This accessible, low-cost solution will allow destinations and institutions to create immersive XR experiences—no expensive equipment or complex software needed. See how you can inspire visitors with engaging, futuristic storytelling through heritage!
The 5DCulture project demonstrated how foldable plastic hologram kits and existing 3D models can be used to create engaging and affordable cultural experiences. In Idrija, Slovenia, visitors received special postcards with QR codes linking to holographic videos, made from repurposed 3D and 2D content. When viewed through a plastic pyramid on a smartphone, the videos turned into eye-catching 3D holograms—making advanced technology accessible to everyone.
XRCulture project is scaling up this concept by developing a user-friendly online tool integrated into the 3d-heritage.eu platform. This tool will automatically generate holographic videos from 3D models, making it easier than ever to create immersive XR content—no advanced skills or expensive equipment required. Using the WEAVEx web-based tool for managing digital content, your digital stories – featuring holographic videos, 3D models and other content from Europeana – can be available for your tourists almost immediately.
We are looking for European tourism destinations that:
· Represents cultural heritage sites (museums, monuments, historical buildings, landmarks).
· Already have 3D digital models of at least one relevant heritage object or structure.
· Are interested in testing low-cost, high-impact XR experiences to improve visitor engagement.
The pathway to your own holographic postcards:
1. Access to the Tools
Selected destinations will gain access to the new online tool within the 3d-heritage.eu platform, allowing you to turn your existing 3D models into holographic videos effortlessly. Secondly, you will be able to use the WeaveX web-based tool for managing digital content.
2. Guidance & Support
Our team will support the destination in the process, from uploading 3D content to generating and using the holographic videos. You will be guided on how to incorporate these into your visitor experience. We will equip you with a small batch of plastic foldable hologram kits and assist you in acquiring your own (2-3 € per piece), as well as designing the postcards or other materials.
3. Holographic Experience Development
The destination will develop and test a full XR scenario using hologram pyramids and mobile phones. The experience can be used on-site (e.g., in museum shops or info points) or as part of promotional activities (e.g., with holographic postcards featuring QR codes).
4. Maximizing Existing Content
This initiative helps destinations make the most of their digital heritage assets. The destination will repurpose existing 3D models and other media to create a new, visually engaging layer of interpretation.
What support and outputs will the selected destinations receive?
· Collaboration with the ARCTUR and IN2 teams and other project partners.
· Using the 3d-heritage.eu platform and utilising a new tool to automatically generate holographic videos from existing 3D models.
· Using the WeaveX tool to craft your own digital stories.
· Be featured in the XRCulture project promotion, increasing visibility and digital reach.
Timeline
· Application Deadline: July 30th, 2025
· Selection of participating destinations: early September 2025
· XR Content creation and storytelling: September – December 2025
· Launch: January/February 2026
· Onsite engagement & promotion: January – June 2026
How to Apply?
Submit your interest if you are a heritage tourism destination with existing 3D models and would like to bring your stories to life with XR.
Submit your proposal here: https://forms.gle/7yzjPB7scgCkspin9
We aim to support as many destinations as possible, but foresee that a maximum of 5 tourism destinations will be selected. Through the application form we evaluate that the destination fits our call (i.e profile, availability of 3D content, format). The applications will be ranked based on the motivation and alignment with the capabilities of the holographic postcards. Finally, we will prioritise based on the size of the destination, with small destinations having higher priority.
