Souv: a Croatian innovation that turns souvenirs into a new communication channel in tourism

I've recently been cleaning out my phone memory and transferring thousands of photos and videos to free up space. A simple task ended up with me looking at old photos for hours and revisiting trips, events and moments I had completely suppressed in the meantime.

That moment reminded me how much they Photos are a powerful trigger for emotions.One photo is enough to restore the entire film.

Today, we all take more photos and videos than ever before while traveling, and each trip leaves behind hundreds, sometimes thousands of records. But the paradox is that, precisely because we have so many, we rarely look at them again.

Photos thus become "invisible" in the cell phone gallery, buried with new content and everyday rhythm. A small part ends up on social networks, but the majority remains forgotten.

Almost no one develops physical photographs anymore, and a souvenir is often reduced to a magnet, postcard, or trinket that reminds you of the destination, but rarely relives the entire travel experience.

And that is precisely where the great untapped value lies.

Because if photographs preserve the emotion of travel, the question is how to reactivate them. And even more importantly for tourism: can a new space of communication be opened between the guest and the destination through that emotion?

It is precisely this space that the tourist sector uses very little after the trip, and it should. Because, as we know from the hotel industry, returning a guest without new marketing and commission costs is the "holy grail".

It is interesting that, when we talk about destinations, this segment is much less often put in focus.

Destinations today are investing more and more resources in the quality of the experience, digital channels, content and the relationship with the guest while they are at the destination. However, in practice, this relationship most often ends with departure, after which the battle for attention is re-entered through promotion, newsletters, social networks and campaigns, in the same communication forest.

That's why the question after-travel communications, which has long been an important part of guest relations in the hotel industry, is increasingly coming into focus in destination marketing.

How do you stay present after a guest leaves? How do you communicate not just through advertising, but through emotion and storytelling? And can the relationship continue precisely where tourism is strongest, in memory?

One of the attempts to extend this relationship comes from Croatia. It is a project Souv, a Croatian startup that classically souvenir turns u a new destination communication channel.

From souvenirs to a digital space of memories

Souv starts from a simple idea: a souvenir doesn't have to be just a reminder of a trip, it can become personal. digital space of memories.

It's about physical souvenir in card or magnet form, available in multiple designs, from premium stainless steel collector's editions to everyday versions. Activated with a single touch of the phone via NFC technology or QR code, after which the user opens up space for photos, videos, notes and the journey's progress.

The design adapted to each destination also gives it a collector's value.

In this combination of physical and digital, Souv functions as a digital keeper of memories, but also communication channel with the guest.

If a souvenir remains in the user's physical space, on a shelf, refrigerator, or desk, it becomes a lasting trigger for memories and an unobtrusive reminder of the destination.

This way, the destination remains present and after the guest leaves, in his home and everyday life, and not just through social networks, newsletters or paid campaigns. This is precisely the most interesting part of the concept from a marketing perspective: the physical souvenir prolongs the presence of the destination, while the digital layer opens up space for continued communication.

If added to that user base and the ability to collect permitted data on activations and interactions, Souv can also become a tool for better quality remarketing towards the guests.

Every new touch with the phone reopens the experience of travel, but also the space in which destination, hotel, museum, attraction or event I can continue. own content.

Souv does not communicate through advertising, but through memory and information. The content of the destination appears within the personal context of the guest, connected to his own travel experience. This difference is crucial. Therefore, the destination no longer communicates only as a brand seeking attention, but as part of an already lived experience.

This can be a recommendation for the next visit, information about what's new in the destination, a calendar of events, a story about a location the guest visited, a special route, a local story, or additional interpretive content.

Souv is a business venture, the idea of ​​two friends Antonija Šeparović i Matej Petrić who say that the point is that the user stores their own memories, while underneath that personal layer, space is opened for destination content.

"Below personal memories are sections with destination content, which is updated over time. The idea is that when the user returns to their memories years later, they will be reacquainted with current information, events and content that can inspire them to come back again.", emphasizes Šeparović.

According to Šeparović, in the first phase the emphasis is on creating an additional communication channel for destinations and partners, and not on the classic sale of advertising space.

"For this season, we are working with tourist boards mainly through a partnership model and mutual promotion, where we open an additional communication channel for the destination that is active even after the trip. Tourist boards work with us to select content that best represents the destination within the Souv experience, and then connect us with museums, events, souvenir shops and other stakeholders in the destination.", explains Šeparović.

In other words, the tourism community does not necessarily have to be just a buyer of the product. It can be a partner that connects the destination ecosystem and helps Souv become the official smart souvenir of the destination, but also a channel to museums, events, attractions and other local stakeholders.

Application for destinations, hotels, museums and events

The potential for applying this model does not stop at classic souvenir shops.

For tourist boards, Souv can function as an additional communication channel that connects the guest with the destination even after they return home. Through the digital layer of souvenirs, the destination can communicate local stories, recommendations for the next visit, a calendar of events, cultural routes or content that deepens the understanding of the place - at the moment when the guest is most open to them, while returning to their memories from the trip. Instead of the destination fighting for the guest's attention in the cluttered social networks and mailbox after they leave, it remains naturally present in their home through a physical object and on their phone through a personal memory.

For hotels, Souv can be part of the stay experience, especially in the premium segment, loyalty programs, wedding packages, MICE segment or with special guests. Instead of a classic gift that is often left in the suitcase, the hotel can present the guest with its own Souv edition, which the guest personalizes with their own memories during their stay - from dinner in the restaurant and wellness treatment to excursions in the destination. Months and years after returning home, when the guest returns to his memories, he opens a space in which the hotel itself is present, with the possibility of displaying a new seasonal offer, a package for the next stay or special benefits for regular guests. For the hotelier, this means one thing: the guest does not stop being in his communication at the moment of check-out.

For museums, interpretation centers and attractions, Souv opens up a space for the visitor to continue their visit even after they leave the institution. Visitors often do not have time to absorb everything an exhibition or site has to offer, especially if they come in a group, on a school excursion or as a foreign tourist with limited time. Souv allows them to access additional materials later, from their home - videos, extended descriptions of exhibits in their own language, a virtual tour or information about future exhibitions. This gives the museum something it has not had before: a permanent connection with the visitor that does not depend on whether they sign up for the newsletter or remember the institution's website.

For event organizers - from business conferences and cultural festivals to sports races, Souv can become part of the starter or participant package. The participant later accesses his memories from the event, official results, sponsor materials and information about the next edition through it. For the organizer, this means two advances at the same time: sponsors gain permanent visibility that lasts even after the event itself ends, and the participant base remains "alive" for communication about the next edition, without the need to pay for advertising for the same audience again.

“Uvati Vitar” as Souva's first "outing into the world".

One of the first concrete examples of application was the manifestation "Uvati Vitar" in Sutivan on Brač, where a personalized Souv edition was prepared for the participants of the cycling race.

Participants received a Souv card as part of their starting package, and after the race they could access it as a digital space for their own photos and memories, but also as a channel through which they could access race results and additional content related to the race, sponsors, and the island of Brač.

"For a specific race, we made a personalized Souv edition. The participants received it as part of the start package, and after the race they could add their memories, access the results and additional content about the destination", emphasizes Šeparović.

The results of the pilot application showed concrete indicators of engagement: approx 40% of distributed Souv cards activated je and filled with personal memories of the participants, while it is almost Every fifth participant shared their race experience with someone from their environment..

For the pilot phase and for the format of the event, these are indicators that confirm what was initially assumed - that a physical object combined with a digital layer creates a natural moment of interaction with both the participant and their environment.

For the event organizer and the destination, the key value is that the participant who activates Souv stays in touch with the event and the destination months after the race - without additional media costs and without dependence on social network algorithms.

This is a good example of how the concept can be adapted to a specific event, but also how it can be expanded beyond the event itself. The participant not only received a souvenir from the race, but also a digital channel through which the destination can continue to communicate even after the event has ended. It is precisely this balance between personalization, communication and privacy that has proven to be one of the key elements for the wider application of this solution in tourism.

Croatian product in the launch phase

SOUV was fully developed in Croatia: from design and production to the development of a digital platform, with the support of the European Union through the "Innovations of newly established SMEs" program.

After two years of development, testing and iterations, Souv entered the launch phase during the 2026 season. The first collaborations and pilot projects are aimed primarily at tourist boards, but also at other stakeholders in the tourism sector.

The business model is, on the one hand, focused on guests who will be able to purchase SOUV over the counter, and on the other hand, on the B2B segment in cooperation with tourism stakeholders.

The first presentations were held as part of the Place2Go and PUT Travel Exchange fairs, where representatives of tourist boards, agencies and other organizations recognized the potential of this approach, especially in the context of building long-term relationships with guests. 

"We develop strategic partnerships with tourist boards, but it is equally important for us to develop cooperation with hotels, museums, events, agencies, and even private renters. They all need to extend the relationship with the guest and give them an additional reason to come back.”, says Separovic.

The project is currently entering a pilot phase with multiple destinations, including The Tourist Board of the City of Pula, the Tourist Board of the City of Split, the Tourist Board of the City of Dubrovnik, the Tourist Board of the City of Korčula and the Tourist Board of the Island of Brač, and as Šeparović states, discussions are underway with other destinations, which further confirms the sector's growing interest in this model of connecting with visitors.

Tourism can no longer be viewed only through arrivals, overnight stays and consumption. 

At a time when destinations are increasingly talking about quality of experience, loyalty, guest relationship management and greater value per visitor, communication after the trip is becoming an increasingly important part of the tourism cycle.

Souv is trying to enter this very space. Not as another app, not as another ad format, but as a physical object that connects to a personal emotion and digitally extends the travel experience.

Ultimately, the greatest value is not in another campaign, but in remaining present where tourism is strongest: in the guest's memory and in their private space in the living room. 

And if that memory can be reactivated, upgraded, and connected to a new reason for coming, then the souvenir ceases to be just an object. It becomes a medium and a new tool. And perhaps this is where a new phase begins. destination marketing.

More details about the collaboration and the souvenir SOUV

Tourist boards, hotels, museums and event organizers who wish to consider pilot collaboration for the 2026 season can contact Antonij Šeparović at antonio@digisence.agency or via the contact form at Souv.app.

The number of pilot spots for the 2026 season is limited.