Artist Biography
Liana Davidson is a senior interior architecture student at Endicott College graduating in spring 2026. After graduation, she has accepted a position as a junior designer at Lawless Design in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Here, she will focus on wellness-centered renovations and also will be learning from other design professionals. Liana has always had a passion for art, and when she helped choose her grandmother’s house, she knew she had an eye for design. Liana is always engaging in creativity whether that’s through dancing, drawing, choreographing, or designing. Art and design are deeply connected, focusing on aesthetics, creativity, and self-expression that evoke emotions, which is what she hopes to execute in her designs. Liana hopes to design spaces that are functional, promotes well being, and inspire the user to be their best selves.
Thesis Abstract
Venture Local is an educational hotel chain founded in Florence, Italy that teaches tourists about local culture while creating jobs for Florentine residents. It aims to answer the question: how can a destination hotel serve as an educational space for tourists to learn about local culture, heritage, and traditions, while also respecting local communities and providing job opportunities?
Florence, Italy is full of rich culture, significant history, beautiful art, timeless architecture, and traditions. As one of the most visited destinations in Europe, Florence continues to attract millions of of tourists each year. Although, in the last decade, it has been facing a tremendous amount of overtourism.
Overtourism has become a large issue in many destinations and can create unsustainability, cultural identity loss, increase cost of living for residents, and overcrowding. There is no true way to stop or slow down tourism altogether, but by educating tourists about a destination will help promote more sustainable and respectful tourism.
Currently in Florence, Airbnb’s are taking over residential areas and Florence has now been favoring tourism revenue over their own resident’s well being. While tourism is essential for the prosperity of cities and countries, moderating the effects of tourism can benefit both the local community and visitors. By implementing Venture Local to teach tourists about the culture they are visiting, it is possible to reduce ignorance and challenge the stereotypes that emerge from uninformed travel.