The XENIOS project is an integrated application platform designed to protect and promote cultural and tourist sites vulnerable to natural hazards. It addresses critical capability gaps by providing authorized bodies with online maps forecasting natural hazard threats, simulating fire behavior for preventive planning, detecting precursor events like increased visitor numbers at high-risk locations, continuously monitoring visitor dispersion through a smartphone app, and establishing a call center for emergency communication.
The solution has undergone extensive testing and demonstration in pilot studies at the Gorge of Samaria and the Archaeological site of Dion Pieria. These implementations have validated the system's effectiveness in real-world scenarios, qualifying it at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8: "Actual system completed and qualified through test and demonstration."
In terms of market innovation, the XENIOS platform offers a novel integration of natural hazard forecasting with real-time visitor management and communication tools. While individual components like hazard forecasting and mobile tourist guides exist, their combination into a cohesive system tailored for cultural and tourist sites is recent. Therefore, this technology has been known and used in the world for less than three years, representing a significant advancement in enhancing site safety and visitor experience.
The XENIOS project aims to transform the protection and sustainable promotion of Greece’s cultural and tourist landmarks through the development of an integrated digital platform capable of forecasting extreme natural events and disasters. By delivering short-, medium-, and long-term hazard predictions, the project strengthens risk management strategies for high-value cultural and touristic areas exposed to natural threats. This forward-looking approach seeks not only to safeguard Greece’s invaluable heritage but also to ensure the safety and satisfaction of visitors. A central component of the project is a user-friendly mobile application that delivers real-time, location-based alerts and relevant site information, enhancing the visitor experience through technology.
XENIOS focuses on several key objectives:
Comprehensive Risk Forecasting: Equip national authorities (e.g., Hellenic National Tourism Organisation and the Ministry of Culture and Sports) with a web-based map forecasting hazard exposure at multiple spatial and temporal scales.
Fire Behavior Simulation: Provide tools to simulate fire spread dynamics at the local level, supporting site-specific preventive planning and protection of both infrastructure and human life.
Precursor Event Detection: Detect sporadic risk factors, such as crowd surges in vulnerable zones, enabling early mitigation measures to be enacted by site managers.
Real-Time Visitor Monitoring: Track visitor numbers and movement patterns within cultural sites and natural parks, offering both informative content and timely emergency warnings via the mobile app.
Emergency Communication Infrastructure: Establish a centralized call center to manage visitor emergency calls, ensuring swift response through accurate geolocation and caller identification.
Through this integrated, multi-disciplinary platform, XENIOS sets a new benchmark for cultural site resilience, combining heritage conservation with digital innovation and public safety.
The XENIOS project introduces a pioneering approach to safeguarding and enhancing Greece's cultural and tourist sites by integrating advanced predictive technologies with real-time visitor engagement tools. Its innovative aspects include:
Multi-Temporal Risk Prediction: XENIOS offers authorized bodies, such as the Hellenic National Tourism Organisation and the Ministry of Culture and Sports, an online platform that predicts natural hazard threats to tourist and cultural sites across various spatial and temporal scales. This comprehensive forecasting capability enables proactive risk management and mitigation strategies.
Fire Behavior Simulation: The project provides the ability to simulate fire behavior at a local level, facilitating the planning of preventive measures and the protection of both sites and visitors. This localized simulation is crucial for effective emergency preparedness and response.
Precursor Event Detection: XENIOS is designed to detect precursor events that may sporadically increase risk, such as a surge in visitor numbers at high-risk locations. This feature allows for timely interventions to prevent potential incidents.
Real-Time Visitor Monitoring and Communication: The project continuously records and monitors visitor numbers and distribution at each site. Through a user-friendly smartphone application, visitors receive information on points of interest and real-time warnings or instructions during emergencies, enhancing their safety and overall experience.
Emergency Communication Infrastructure: XENIOS establishes a call center that enables site management bodies to receive emergency calls from visitors, accurately identifying the caller's location and particulars to expedite response efforts.
By seamlessly integrating these innovative features, XENIOS not only enhances the protection of cultural and tourist sites but also elevates the visitor experience, setting a new standard in site management and emergency respo
The XENIOS project addresses the critical need for safeguarding Greece's cultural and tourist sites against natural hazards by developing an integrated application platform that enhances risk management and visitor safety. This comprehensive solution resolves several key challenges:
Timely Risk Forecasting: XENIOS provides authorized bodies, such as the Hellenic National Tourism Organisation and the Ministry of Culture and Sports, with an online map that predicts the degree of threat posed by natural hazards to tourist and cultural sites across various spatial and temporal scales. This enables proactive planning and resource allocation to mitigate potential risks.
Fire Behavior Simulation: The platform offers capabilities to simulate the spatial behavior of fires at a local level, facilitating the development of targeted prevention strategies and the implementation of protective measures for both sites and visitors.
Precursor Event Detection: XENIOS detects precursor events that may sporadically increase risk, such as a surge in visitor numbers at high-risk locations. This allows site management to implement timely interventions to prevent potential incidents.
Real-Time Visitor Monitoring and Communication: The project continuously records and monitors visitor numbers and distribution at each site. Through a user-friendly smartphone application, visitors receive information on points of interest and real-time warnings or instructions during emergencies, enhancing their safety and overall experience.
Emergency Communication Infrastructure: XENIOS establishes a call center that enables site management bodies to receive emergency calls from visitors, accurately identifying the caller's location and particulars to expedite response efforts.
By integrating these components, XENIOS effectively resolves the challenges associated with protecting cultural and tourist sites from natural disasters, ensuring both the preservation of locations and visitor
The XENIOS consortium comprises five research institutes and two SMEs. FMRS (AUTh) coordinates the project, leveraging expertise in forest management and remote sensing. INRASTES (NCSRD) provides hazard assessment capabilities. HAO–DEMETER supports disaster forecasting. KEMEA contributes to security and emergency planning. SNPMB offers site management insights. Creative People develops Xenios System, while Realiscape Typorama designs the mobile application and the interactive digital content.
The XENIOS consortium comprises five research institutes and two SMEs. FMRS (AUTh) coordinates the project, leveraging expertise in forest management and remote sensing. INRASTES (NCSRD) provides hazard assessment capabilities. HAO–DEMETER supports disaster forecasting. KEMEA contributes to security and emergency planning. SNPMB offers site management insights. Creative People develops Xenios System, while Realiscape Typorama designs the mobile application and the interactive digital content.