RurAll: Co-creation and inclusion to drive forward the emptied Spain

Visit the project

Area

Regenerative tourism

Client

Funded by the European Union

Year

2022-2024

Impact

Co-creation and inclusion to empower the emptied Spain

Is it possible to promote tourism initiatives that contribute to responsible and inclusive tourism while combating depopulation?

The project "Inclusive Experiences Against Depopulation" RurAll, funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, aims to bring tourism to any territory in an inclusive manner through replicability, while simultaneously fighting against depopulation.

In Spain, rural areas (less than 30,000 inhabitants and with a population density of less than 100 inhabitants/km2) cover 84% of the country's surface, but only house 15.9% of the population. This 84% of the territory is what we know as the Empty Spain - which is not empty because, in most cases, it lacks a voluntarist component.

Inclusive experiences against depopulation aims to delve into the development of rural tourist destinations from an inclusion perspective. This extends to the realm of accessibility, allowing enjoyment of tourist experiences for all people, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities.

It also expands into the realm of equality and gender perspective, especially in a rural context where the contribution of women holds invaluable significance. For this reason, the project aims to advocate for and disseminate the value of women's roles in rural environments as a fundamental component of their territories' development.

The rural territories participating in the project share a common characteristic: they all suffer from the continuous loss of residents and consequently, depopulation. The Comarca of Molina de Aragón (Alto Tajo) and Oliete (Teruel) are the identified origin territories, where the two experiences to be replicated are located, in the other three territories we call “destination”, located in Sepúlveda (Castilla y León), Estercuel - Monasterio del Olivar (Teruel) and Chiclana de Segura (Jaén).

Is it possible to promote tourism initiatives that contribute to responsible and inclusive tourism while combating depopulation?

Our role

Project Coordination
Final report and research
Event organization and production
Audio-visual Production
Implementation of the Pentagrowth CARE methodology for the development of destinations and tourist empathy map
Citizen participation and co-creative processes with the public, private sector and residents
Interviews with agents and residents, mobilization strategy “snowball”

Team

A consultant with over 12 years of experience, he has collaborated with organizations such as Adigital and Airbnb. He is the author of the book From Hospitium to Tourism 4.0 and multiple academic publications. A guest lecturer in several innovation master's programs, he holds a degree in Tourism, a Master’s in Business Management, a Master’s in Tourism Planning, and is a PhD candidate in Tourism.

franciscorodriguez@ideasforchange.com

Francisco Rodríguez

Head of tourism area

Sandra holds a degree in Tourism and a postgraduate degree in Tourism Management and Planning from the University of Seville. Recognized for her research on tourism accessibility by the Intelligent Tourism Chair at the University of Seville and the Junta de Andalucía, she specializes in consulting and research on projects aimed at developing inclusive and accessible tourist destinations.

sandracampos@ideasforchange.com

Sandra Campos Olszewska

Consultant and researcher

With an extensive background in audiovisual production and education, Martín produces and directs all audiovisual content at Ideas for Change. He is currently involved in European projects focused on citizen impact, as well as initiatives promoting regenerative tourism.

martin@ideasforchange.com