Erasmus+ Project: Tools for ecological, nature, agricultural, cultural, and gastronomic tourism in rural areas
- Type Project
- Status In progress
- Execution 2022 -2024
- Assigned Budget 60.000,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Autonomous community Castilla y León
- Main source of financing Erasmus +
This project arose from the need to understand the current situation of rural tourism, as this type of tourism has experienced a notable increase in recent years, with nature tourism being one of the most important in Europe. Therefore, it was designed to understand the tourist profile in countries with great potential in the rural tourism sector, such as the participating partner countries. Various needs were addressed, such as determining the type of tourist and the type of potential tourism in rural environments where agricultural activities and extensive livestock farming predominate, as well as compiling examples of good practices in this regard. Another need to be addressed was the analysis of the status of digitalization in the rural sector, the use made of these digital tools, and who they are aimed at.
The project activities were defined in accordance with the objectives established in the initial phase. The initial activities included a kickoff meeting, which was linked to several follow-up meetings organized by all partners.
Two in-person workshops were also held: the first took place in Transylvania, Romania, from July 16 to 19, 2023, and the second in Huelva, Spain, on March 4 and 5, 2024.
Thanks to these workshops, a wealth of information has been gathered, thus fulfilling the project's objectives of developing a manual or guide of best practices that can serve as a reference for anyone who, at a professional, educational, or personal level, wishes to expand their knowledge or supplement their training.
Furthermore, the importance of disseminating the project on social media and other media outlets was highlighted, as well as the established objectives, such as through dissemination events in the four member countries, as well as at the final conference that brought together various stakeholders to explain the project's results and activities, as well as the importance of using digital tools in rural tourism.
The main objective was to gather examples of good practices in European countries with great potential in rural tourism, agroforestry activities, and other natural assets. With this premise, the project also sought to analyze the status of digital tools in this sector in these countries, exchange previous experiences among the partner countries, determine the profile of rural, ethnocultural, and ecological tourists and the economic, social, and cultural variables that define them, identify scenarios that allow for the design of proposals for their possible implementation, and, finally, determine the potential of a KA2 with IoT. Thanks to these objectives and the activities included within them, it will be possible to identify current scenarios, as well as the shortcomings, opportunities, and challenges of rural tourism and, consequently, of digital tools in this sector in the countries participating in the project.
The project's results were developed through the convening of two workshops. Thanks to this exchange of experiences and the sharing of many of the project's key aspects, it was possible to extract several documents that were used to inform the best practices manual and as conclusions from the remaining activities.
The first workshop, held in 2023 in Romania, produced several conclusions:
- An analysis and identification of agroforestry activities that develop rural tourism initiatives.
- A SWOT analysis for the development of this activity.
- An analysis of the potential profile.
- A report that brings together training courses related to rural tourism and, as a final result, a report on new organizations capable of organizing events.
At the second workshop held in 2024 in Spain, other conclusions were drawn, such as:
- Identification of good practices,
- Report on successful tourism initiatives associated with agroforestry activities,
- Sustainability report on rural tourism,
- Report on training needs and the need for a KA2 with IoT, and a network of digital tool developers in rural tourism.
- Coordinator/entity name: CASTILLA Y LEON FORESTRY AND INDUSTRY SERVICES AND PROMOTION CENTER FOUNDATION
- Postal address: Las Casas Industrial Estate, Calle C, Parcela 4, 40005 Soria
- Telephone: 975212453
- Fundacion Centro De Servicios Y Promocion Forestal Y De Su Industria De Castilla Y Leon
- Asociación Cívica Museo Lišov
- FUNDACION MONTE MEDITERRANEO
- Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas para la Educación Agrícola y Ambiental
- Fundación ProPark para Áreas Protegidas
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