Ten tabs open to decide where to eat
Maps, reviews, blogs, reels, groups, venue websites: planning a day in a city means checking too many sources. Why it happens and how Glocal turns them into one.
ReadLess searching. More city.
Planning a day takes maps, reviews, blogs, social profiles and a message to your host. Glocal puts it all in one place and recommends places in the historic centre the way a friend who lives there would: a few, well chosen, with opening hours and map.
The problem
Ten sources to decide where to eat.
Each says something different, half are out of date and none of them knows your day. You end up spending more time on your phone than in the street.
- Maps
- Review sites
- TikTok
- Travel blogs
- Guidebooks
- Facebook groups
- Venue websites
- Forums
- Messages to your host
- Glocal: one QR code
71%of travellers struggle to work out what is genuinely worth their time
91%prefer authentic experiences to the usual tourist circuit
56%received no recommendation at all from their host
Source: Glocal traveller survey.
How it works
One QR code. Three steps.
- 1
The host displays the QR
In the room, at the entrance, on the bar counter. A card, nothing to install.
- 2
The guest scans it
Glocal opens in the browser, in Italian or English. No app to download.
- 3
They pick what they love
Food, art, nightlife. A few places, recommended like a local friend would, with map and opening hours.
Scan it. The right places, all in one.
No app to download.What we do, what we don’t
Clear, from the start.
We do
- Recommend places the way a local friend would.
- Put in one place what you would normally look up in ten.
- Select a few places in the historic centre and check their hours and addresses.
- Speak Italian and English.
We don’t
- Give you endless lists.
- Do star rankings.
- Act as a travel agency.
- Ask you to download an app.
Territory
More guests shouldn’t mean less city.
In the first eight months of 2025 the Municipality of Bologna recorded over 1.45 million tourist arrivals, up 7.6% on the previous year. We start from the historic centre, where the pressure is strongest, giving room to independent businesses and to a more respectful way of getting around.
Our approach to overtourism
For hosts & venues
The same questions at every check-in? Answer with a QR.
Where to eat, what to see, how to get around: Glocal answers for you, with the right places in the historic centre, already translated. You add your tips, we keep everything up to date.
- Fewer messages with the same questions
- Your tips, in your voice
- Opening hours updated automatically
- For accommodation, bars and restaurants
Journal
What we think, in full.
Overtourism in Bologna: the problem isn’t tourists, it’s where they end up
Bologna has never been this visited. The data on arrivals and short-term rentals, what overtourism really means, and why the answer is to spread visitor flows, not stop them.
ReadWhat Glocal is (and what it isn’t)
Glocal is the service hosts and venues offer their guests through a QR code: a curated selection of Bologna’s historic centre, in one place instead of ten different sources.
ReadWhat is Glocal?
Glocal is a service that hosts, B&Bs, holiday rentals, bars and restaurants offer their guests through a QR code. Guests scan it and find, in one place, a curated selection of places in Bologna’s historic centre: where to eat, what to see, where to go at night, with opening hours, map and their host’s tips. Glocal was born in Bologna and has been live since September 2026.
Why use Glocal instead of searching on my own?
Because planning even a single day usually means juggling many different sources: maps, review sites, blogs, social profiles, guidebooks, messages to your host. They often contradict each other or are out of date. Glocal gathers a verified selection in one place, recommended the way a local friend would, so guests spend less time searching and more time in the city.
Do I need to download an app?
No. Glocal opens directly in your phone’s browser after you scan the QR code. Nothing to install from an app store.
Is Glocal free for travellers?
Yes. Glocal is free for guests: it is provided by the accommodation or venue displaying the QR code.
Is Glocal like having a local friend?
Yes, that is exactly the idea. Glocal recommends places in the historic centre the way a friend who lives in the city would: a few, well chosen, with the practical tips you actually need. If your host adds their own tips, you find them alongside ours.