NERITES

EU rural and remote areas possess diverse qualities but face unique challenges. To address these, the EC introduced the “Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas,” identifying key issues and opportunities while proposing a Rural Action Plan. A major challenge is economic diversification beyond traditional agriculture, forestry, and farming. Tourism, particularly cultural and creative tourism, can serve as a catalyst for rural economic growth. TOURAL aims to leverage cultural and creative tourism for sustainable development, aligning with the EC Tourism Transition Pathway. The project promotes smart, multi-destination, and multi-dimensional tourism, strengthened by macro-regional cooperation and integrated local value chains. TOURAL’s model seeks to enhance tourism in rural regions by balancing urban cluster growth with the untapped potential of remote areas. Our approach is multi-dimensional, addressing niche tourism sectors such as underwater cultural heritage, cultural science tourism, silver tourism, and creative tourism. It is participatory, involving co-designing policy pathways, co-creating business models, and co-validating small-scale tourism services. It is also integrated, ensuring joint planning, business development, and cross-border cooperation. TOURAL’s interventions focus on three Adriatic-Ionian macro-regions (Italy, Croatia, Greece) and three Black Sea Basin regions (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine), fostering sustainable rural tourism and economic resilience.