Our project remained largely in line with the initial plan, but it is evident that some actions had to be redone, and others even changed completely. This led us to three main learnings: Be prepared to adapt: One of our main areas of focus was the transportation sector, including: Driver training. Customization of local public transportation. Construction of stops. Mediation for decision-making in various areas, such as schedules and prices. In this area, we had to adjust the project every day to meet the demands of drivers, who showed little commitment due to limited time. Thus, the initially planned in-person training had to be adapted to be recorded and distributed through common channels such as WhatsApp and Messenger. To reach agreements on schedules and prices, we had to mediate between the president of the drivers' association and the transportation councilor of the municipality to ensure consensus. These and other events highlighted the constant need for adaptation. We must be alert to signals during the project, as they can completely change its scope. The signs are there, and we are not always as vigilant as we should be; however, they have the power to substantially alter the project. Cape Verde is currently going through an unprecedented phase of seeking immigration. This is due to the crisis being experienced, but also to the historical intention of Cape Verdeans to emigrate, intensified recently by the facilitation granted by Portugal, making emigration much more accessible. In this scenario, young people are not interested in entrepreneurship, even with programs that fund up to 75% of the investment. This is because, at this moment, no one is willing to invest even the remaining 25%, when the immediate focus is on leaving tomorrow. Thus, we are experiencing a clear crisis of entrepreneurship deceleration, which makes it really difficult to implement the entrepreneurship action that we planned.

The project is currently in its final phase, scheduled to be inaugurated in January. We operate at a local level with the aim of empowering the Municipal Council and the community through tools to boost tourism. Some of the initiatives we have implemented include: Training tourist operators in foreign languages such as French and English, along with expertise in digital marketing. Enhancing the transportation sector to provide a more efficient experience for visitors. Improving the tourist information service to offer comprehensive support to tourists. Collecting data on local tourism to inform future strategies. I believe that with these actions, we have empowered both the Municipal Council and the community, providing essential physical and intellectual tools. In the coming months, we plan to implement evaluation techniques to measure the impact of the project. This will allow us to prepare for a scale-up within the municipality, focusing on intensifying training actions. Additionally, we are considering replicating these initiatives in other municipalities with tourism potential, aiming to contribute to regional development.

We started the project with a lack of information about tourism in the locality. We only had the subjective perception of the community and local authorities. Therefore, our first approach was to initiate a data collection project through questionnaires applied to tourists, which we intend to carry out continuously. During the preparation and execution of the project, we used collective intelligence to obtain different perspectives and developed issue mapping to better identify areas of action. Based on the results, we began to plan the project, always reviewing it with the community and the municipality, and simultaneously monitoring the research results, which were feeding into the project.

As previously mentioned, we embarked on this project with the strong conviction that there is a vast amount of untapped potential in the realm of tourism that remains largely unexplored. Our primary objective is to meticulously identify and address the numerous barriers that currently hinder the progress and development of this sector. To accomplish this ambitious goal, we have implemented a comprehensive array of strategies and methodologies. One of our key approaches is the utilization of collective intelligence, harnessing the power of collaboration and the wisdom of the crowd to gain valuable insights and innovative ideas. We firmly believe that by tapping into the collective knowledge and experiences of various stakeholders, we can effectively identify and overcome the challenges that impede the growth of the tourism industry. Additionally, we have employed the technique of issue mapping, a powerful tool that enables us to visually represent and analyze the complex web of interconnected issues and factors that influence the development of tourism. By mapping out these critical elements, we are able to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying dynamics and identify potential solutions. (Please see the 2nd Facebook post). Moreover, we have also implemented pilot programs, which serve as experimental initiatives aimed at testing new ideas, approaches, and strategies. These programs allow us to gather real-time data and feedback, which in turn informs our decision-making process. This data-driven approach ensures that our decisions are grounded in accurate and comprehensive information. (Please see the 1st Facebook post). In summary, our multifaceted approach, consisting of collective intelligence, issue mapping, and pilot programs, is rooted in the continuous collection and analysis of data. By adopting these strategies, we are able to make well-informed decisions and effectively address the barriers that hinder the development of untapped tourism potential.

This project has been carried out from the beginning until now, with full engagement from the community. Despite being a partnership with the municipality, everyone has worked hard to make the project serve the community. It has been conducted in a dynamic and uncomplicated way, adapting to the beneficiaries' needs. All of this has been made possible by applying methodologies such as collective intelligence, issue mapping, and data-driven design and development. It was interesting how the community, even without fully understanding, felt and perceived that they led the project, and it was not something imposed that they had to adapt to. Today, through the participants' expressions, the voice of the tour guides, and the motivation of the municipal employees, everyone feels that the project will bring results and showcase an ancient city that is more adapted to tourism and better prepared to welcome tourists. The trainings were carefully tailored to the business areas. The digital marketing training utilized artificial intelligence for information generation, and simple digital communication techniques were adopted that will make a difference in local services. The simple organization of transportation, which was facilitated by AccLab to a memorandum of understanding between the drivers and the municipality, will solve problems ranging from the presence of tourists in restaurants at night to the increased profitability of the region and consequent improvement in the quality of life for families. This project has demonstrated how the laboratory's modus operandi is truly innovative and can, with little money and time, significantly change people's lives.

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