Developing a Crowdsourcing Digital Repository for Natural and Cultural Heritage Preservation and Promotion: A Report on the Experience in Zakynthos Island (Greece)

The present study discusses the design and development of a digital repository for the preservation and dissemination of the cultural and natural heritage of Zakynthos Island (Greece). Following a crowdsourcing approach, the platform allows users to actively contribute to its content while aiming to integrate scattered information from other relative initiatives. The platform is based on a popular Content Management System (CMS) to provide the core functionality, extended with the use of the CMS’s API to provide additional, personalized functionality for end-users, such as organizing content into thematic routes. The system also features a web application, mainly targeting users visiting the island of Zakynthos, and is developed exclusively with open web technologies and JavaScript frameworks. The web application is an alternative, map-centered, mobile-optimized front-end for the platform’s content featured in the CMS. A RESTful API is also provided, allowing integration with third-party systems and web applications, thereby expanding the repository’s reach and capabilities. Content delivery is personalized, based on users’ profiles, location, and preferences, enhancing engagement and usability. By integrating these features, the repository effectively preserves and makes accessible the unique cultural and natural heritage of Zakynthos to both local and global audiences.