The proliferation of innovative digital technologies is increasingly evident in the domains of culture and tourism. This trend, characterized by significant a potential for experimentation and practical application, necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the emerging tools that are enhancing the cultural tourism sector. Central to this evolution is the emergence of cultural startups that are leveraging advanced technological solutions to revolutionize market dynamics. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted the cultural sector, there is a pressing need for innovation. This study combines the concept of cultural tourism startups with the notion of ‘phygital’—a blend of physical and digital realities—aiming to augment the existing, yet limited, body of research in this field. This research seeks to provide insights into the market trends shaped by cultural startups, focusing on tourism. By examining case studies of Italian cultural tourism startups that are implementing innovative and engaging ‘phygital’ strategies, we aim to offer theoretical contributions to the discourse on phygital applications in culture, as well as practical recommendations for the managers and founders of cultural tourism startups that are venturing into new business models. The selected startups are primarily engaged in enhancing the experiences of incoming tourists, improving customer and partner interactions, and promoting the conservation of Italy’s cultural heritage.

The contemporary cultural scenario is called upon to face challenges deriving from the intersection between social and technological variables, and to develop new strategic trajectories capable of stimulating the interest and involvement of a new audience of digital natives. If assisted with effective marketing strategies, metaverse and virtual platforms can become a fundamental strategic tool for cultural players to build a lasting and solid relationship with their reference stakeholders and with a new target audience. This chapter analyses the role that digital and immersive technologies can have in increasing participation and engagement of young adult customers.

Accessibility is one of the cornerstones of a modern museum enhancement, a feature highlighted by many policymakers, which also translates as a greater openness to different museum audiences. Among these public, the one represented by vulnerable people is linked to a precise management, based mainly on the removal and overcoming of physical and sensory barriers and on the use of the experience related to the works. In the museum field, the pandemic has accelerated the processes of digitization, leading many companies to develop strategies and practices to make their heritage accessible also at the digital level. This work emphasizes that this greater accessibility to museums linked to digital, is not limited only to a process of reproduction of works or places but increases the experience of the visit with additional information that is integrated with the basic experience, enabling the user to active value co-creation processes regarding the visit experience. A qualitative data analysis was carried out by using a multiple case study, analyzing top museums to understand which are the strategies to improve accessibility to the most fragile public and what impact these strategies can have on management: to do this, a logic of repetition, in order to highlight the differences and similarities. These findings contribute to a better understanding of accessibility in cultural institutions and a series of managerial implications are proposed.

The diffusion of sophisticated and at the same time accessible technologies has led to a paradigm shift in the traditional ways of creating value in cultural heritage, imposing a change in the business models of organizations in the sector and in particular museums. With the aim of conducting an exploratory analysis to understand how digitization has influenced the change in cultural business models, this research focused on the Rijksstudio platform, designed and implemented by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in order to generate new ways of relating to users and visitors. The authors chose to adopt a qualitative single case study approach and the evidence obtained was classified using Ramaswamy and Ozcan’s Co-Creation Framework (CCF) to understand how the museum redesigned its digital service through a value co-creation approach capable of generating a high degree of interaction with its target audience.