Awarded for his leadership in Augmented Reality tourism, demonstrating how AR can transform cultural interpretation and visitor immersion.
Aumentur: Transforming Cultural Tourism Through Immersive Technology
Francisco Javier Melero Rus receives the Skål Europe Tourism Technology Award for his pioneering work in applying Augmented Reality and immersive digital tools to enhance cultural tourism. As co-founder of Aumentur, he has led the development of a smart tourism platform that redefines how visitors understand, explore and connect with cultural heritage.
Aumentur responds to a universal challenge: many heritage destinations still rely on static signs, printed brochures or fragmented information that doesn’t meet the expectations of modern travellers. Javier’s solution is a dynamic, multilingual and fully accessible digital companion that turns any destination into an interactive learning environment.
A Superapp for Cultural Discovery
Through a single free mobile app, visitors can access an entire ecosystem of geolocated cultural content, including:
- Augmented Reality reconstructions
- 3D models and digital recreations of lost heritage
- Audio narration and storytelling
- Videos, photos, interactive maps and 360° content
- AI-powered recommendations tailored to interests, language, time and accessibility needs
Once downloaded, content is available offline, making Aumentur ideal for rural areas, natural parks, historic towns and remote archaeological sites. This empowers travellers to explore at their own pace, with depth and independence, without relying on external connectivity.
Leadership Rooted in Innovation and Cultural Sensitivity
Behind Aumentur stands the vision of Javier Melero, a Skål member with more than twenty years of academic expertise in computer graphics and digital heritage at the University of Granada. His leadership bridges research, technology and the tourism sector, ensuring that innovation always serves cultural preservation and visitor understanding.
His contributions include:
- defining the platform’s mission to democratise cultural access;
- guiding technological development in AR, AI, accessibility and data analytics;
- collaborating with museums, destinations and city councils to solve real cultural-tourism challenges;
- training local teams to autonomously create and manage their digital content;
- continuously refining the platform through user feedback and behavioural insights.
Through his stewardship, Aumentur has become not just a product but a transformational tool aligned with sustainability, accessibility and cultural protection.
Impact Across Destinations and Communities
Aumentur has already delivered measurable impact across Spain and beyond:
- 70,000+ downloads and a rapidly growing user base;
- 600+ digital guides deployed across heritage towns, rural areas and major cultural centres;
- 60% retention rate, showing strong satisfaction and repeat engagement;
- significant presence in under-served rural and heritage environments.
These results highlight a clear trend: travellers want immersive cultural experiences that are meaningful, personalised and environmentally responsible.
For destinations, the platform provides:
- accessible digital interpretation without expensive infrastructure;
- tools to reduce printed materials and improve sustainability;
- analytics that support smarter planning and visitor-flow management;
- a stronger cultural brand and greater visibility for lesser-known sites.
A flagship example is the Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo in Granada, where Aumentur has helped reposition a 13th-century monument—once overshadowed by the Alhambra—into a must-see, high-quality cultural visit through immersive storytelling.
A More Inclusive, Educational and Responsible Type of Tourism
Aumentur elevates tourism beyond sightseeing. It enables:
- deeper emotional engagement through AR visualisations and local storytelling;
- inclusive access for visitors with different needs, languages and learning styles;
- discovery of hidden stories, artisans and communities;
- more responsible travel behaviours thanks to offline guidance and balanced tourism flows.
By turning every visit into a rich cultural journey, the platform empowers travellers, inspires curiosity and strengthens the bond between communities and their heritage.
A Multi-Award-Winning Innovation
Aumentur has already received recognition from leading institutions in tourism and innovation, including awards from Costa del Sol Tourism, FITUR, the Tourism Innovation Summit, and the Magallanes-Elcano Social Innovation Awards. These distinctions underscore the platform’s excellence, impact and scalability.
A Vision for the Future
Under Javier Melero’s leadership, Aumentur is expanding internationally and evolving into a global cultural companion — a tool that ensures every visitor, anywhere, can access, understand and appreciate heritage in a meaningful way.
His work demonstrates how Augmented Reality can be used not just for entertainment, but for education, sustainability, accessibility and cultural resilience.
Through this project, Francisco Javier Melero Rus brings the future of tourism closer to communities and communities closer to their heritage.
