Despite the growth of globalization and e-commerce, fashion-related products — such as textiles, jewellery, perfumes, and accessories — still hold the greatest value when purchased at their destinations of origin. These items are more than souvenirs; they are powerful storytellers that connect travellers to the culture, history, and identity of places they visit.  Drawing on case studies from 11 countries  (Indonesia, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, and Tanzania), the report:

• Shows how fashion and tourism are interwoven to uplift local creators and attract diverse audiences.
• Suggests recommendations on how to create win-win synergies between key players in fashion and tourism sectors.
• Promotes tools that create an enabling environment for these stakeholders to co-create new products, while also addressing marketing strategies, branding, and sustainability principles.
• Highlights the need to raise awareness among tourists, encouraging responsible behaviour and deeper appreciation of specific cultural contexts.

By blending traditional fashion expressions with innovation, these examples demonstrate how creative industries can serve as a tool for trade opportunities, inclusive growth, and cultural exchange across the globe. Acknowledgements This publication was jointly commissioned by UN Tourism and USI – Università della Svizzera italiana.  The report was produced by Lorenzo Cantoni, professor at USI, as well as UNESCO Chair in ICT (Information Communication Technologies) to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites. The publication was also co-written, edited and coordinated by Igor Stefanovic, Technical Coordinator of the Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility (ECSR) Department at UN Tourism, and Giorgia Ventura, Project Associate at ECSR. We would like to extend our thanks to Sandra Carvao, Lorena Villar, and Susana Costa Resende for the technical revision and content inputs, and to Juliana Contreras for editing and proofreading. We also extend our gratitude to the Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic, supervisor of the ECSR Department, for her support in carrying out this research. UN Tourism staff and technical experts express their gratitude to all those who contributed with their experience to the case studies contained in the publication Fashion and Cultural Tourism. Connecting Creators, Businesses and Destinations, especially: Laura Ahmad, Malak Alsanea, Amir Hassoun, Marta Javarone, Mustapha Maulid, Pilar Montesinos, Thereza Mugobi, Marina Nuñez Bespalova, Deborah Park, Yolanda Perdomo, Puspita Ayu Permatasari, Francesco Tapinassi and Matthey Vincent. Professor Lorenzo Cantoni would like to extend his special gratitude to the ISEM Fashion Business School in Madrid for hosting him on sabbatical leave in 2024 while researching for this publication.

A research aimed at better understanding and outlining the concept of Cultural Sustainability, as different - even if closely inter-connected - from economic, social and environmental sustainability. In the following links, some relevant publications.

Summer School 2020 of the UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites (USI - Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland) IMAGINE ICTs to promote sustainable heritage tourism in Indonesia August 16-23, 2020 – Indonesia The 7th edition of the USI UNESCO Chair Summer School is realized in collaboration with Trisakti School of Tourism, in Indonesia. The USI UNESCO Chair Summer School in Indonesia will discover tangible Indonesian UNESCO World Heritage Sites and intangible Cultural Heritage in five cities (Jakarta, Cirebon, Pekalongan, Solo, and Yogyakarta). The Summer School will provide learning experiences about Indonesian Batik textile heritage, local gastronomy, as well as cultural visits and seminars. A special focus will be placed on the issue of how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be applied to enhance the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Indonesia and strengthen sustainable tourism, as well as connect locals and visitors. Seminars will be conducted in three Royal Palaces (Cirebon, Solo, and Yogyakarta) on Java Island. The Summer School also includes the two most prominent Indonesian UNESCO World Heritage Sites; the Borobudur and Prambanan Temple compounds.

Southern Summer School of the UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites (USI - UNiversità della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland) Digital communication of indigenous African heritage and fashion February 9-15, 2020 – Namibia The 2020 Southern Summer School, the first of its kind, is realized in collaboration with the University of Namibia and the University of Turku, in Finland. Africa is a rich continent with very diverse cultures, heritage sites and indigenous fashion designs, which can be found in different countries. ICTs are used to preserve and promote cultural tourism and fashion. This Southern Summer School aims to investigate how digital technologies could be leveraged to communicate, promote and market African fashion designs and cultural tourism. Additionally, the school aims to inspire participants to work with local stakeholders from cultural tourism and fashion. The school will offer a perspective of the Namibian cultural tourism and fashion. It will consist of lectures, visits to sites, hands-on exercise, as well as formal and informal activities, which are related to cultural tourism and fashion. Additionally, this school will contribute to celebrate the 150 years of Namibian – Finnish relationship.

2019 Summer School of the UNESCO chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites, established at USI - Università della Svizzera italiana (Lugano, Switzerland). The 2019 Summer School of the UNESCO chair takes place in Switzerland: the activities of the first two days (August 24th and 25th) are running within the 2019 edition of the MEM Summer Summit in Lugano, then the group is moving to Val Müstair, home to the Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The focus is on living heritage, which is living practices and expressions passed down from generation to generation and constantly recreated by communities in response to their environment, their relationship with nature and their history. The importance of living heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted. Lectures, visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Biospheres reserves, hands-on exercises and a range of formal and informal activities will allow participants to understand how to leverage ICTs for a sustainbale tourism that is able to preserve and transmit living heritage.