After almost two years of intense work, the Inclusive Experiences against Depopulation Project project comes to an end, culminating with the launch of the RurAll network, which has already transformed five rural areas in Spain -located in the provinces of Jaén, Teruel, Guadalajara and Segovia – through a collaborative and inclusive approach. The project has been funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and has been led by a consortium composed by Ideas for Change, Sponsoraolivo.org, Sentir el Alto Tajo, Membranding y Aethnictogether with a network of local partners.

The heart of the project: Regenerative tourism and territorial cooperation

RurAll focuses on strengthening rural communities through regenerative tourism and the creation of cooperative networks between territories. This model has proven to be key to revitalizing rural areas in situations of depopulation, generating a positive and lasting impact. The project has been organized in five phases designed to actively involve local communities in the development of regenerative tourism, creating in the development of a regenerative tourism, creating synergies between local stakeholders and fostering innovation and scalable best practices.

A project that has been structured in 5 phases

Initial Phase – Research. This initial phase was essential to establishing the basis for effective collaboration with rural communities. An in-depth analysis was carried out to identify opportunities, needs and potentials in the selected territories. Local actors were mobilized through interviews and meetings, applying a “snowballing” strategy – based on a community’s networks and connections to identify potential leaders and key organizations – which proved crucial to gain the trust of the communities and ensure their active participation.

First and Second Phase – Target development and replication. With the mobilization of key stakeholders, participatory workshops were scheduled in the five territories: Oliete (Teruel) and Comarca Molina de Aragón Alto-Tajo (Guadalajara) as source territories, and Estercuel (Teruel), Sepúlveda (Segovia) and Chiclana de Segura (Jaén) as destination territories. The objective of these workshops was to work together with the local population to develop tourism in their areas. The CARE methodology – Capacity, Accessibility, Resources and Environment – was used for the development of regenerative and inclusive tourism, as well as the Tourist Empathy Map, which allowed participants to conceptualize an appropriate model for their territories, always based on sustainability and inclusion criteria. We also collaborated with Membranding in the creation of the local brand identity of each destination, fundamental for its tourism promotion.

Third Phase – Development of the RurAll Network and transversal workshops. Having a clear idea of how the local population wished to develop tourism, it was necessary to establish an organization and collaboration guidelines. The RurAll Network of inclusive regenerative destinations and the mechanisms for participation among the actors involved were created – Territorial nodes to foster collaboration and strengthen cooperative work among local actors. Work was carried out in areas that cut across all the territories, such as inclusiveness, conducting workshops on marketing, accessibility and gender in the rural context, underscoring the importance of these issues in a specific environment such as the rural one.

Fourth phase – Dissemination. With the previous phases completed, it was time to highlight the work and achievements of the project. All the information was compiled in the RurAll Book, so that inclusive tourism practices could be replicated in other territories, contributing to the fight against depopulation. In addition, a documentary video was produced that portrays the development of the project and the current situation of these small villages at risk of disappearance. Both materials were presented at the closing event on September 18 at the Teatro Bretón in Sepúlveda, with the participation of the mayoress and the Secretary of State for Tourism, as well as members of the consortium, collaborators and neighbors of the project territories. In addition, throughout the project, the RurAll network was presented at various events throughout Spain, including Fitur Next 2024.

What have been RurAll’s main achievements?

After two years of intense work, the following achievements stand out:

• Creation of 5 territorial nodes with a self-governance system: Oliete Node, Molina de Aragón-Alto Tajo Node, Estercuel Node, Sepúlveda Node and Chiclana de Segura Node.
• 70 consortium meetings and 10 field trips to the 5 territories
• More than 8 face-to-face workshops for the development of participatory, inclusive and accessible tourism destinations.
• More than 10 online meetings with communities (creation of the RurAll Network, 1 Design Thinking Hackathon, workshops on gender and marketing of new tourism products and projects).
• Development of 5 local brand identities and 7 additional brand identities for local stakeholders and other territories.
• 3 mentored projects.
• Formulation of 4 new tourism experiences so far.
• Creation of a multi-territorial network with a website offering information on experiences and territories.
• Establishment of an impact measurement system.
• Production of 2 documentary videos
• Preparation of an open access compilation book for replication of the project by third parties.

Main lessons learned from the project

The project RurAll project has highlighted several key learnings that will serve for future rural revitalization efforts. First, the participation of active and well-connected local partners is essential for success, as it ensures the active engagement of the local community. In addition, identifying the so-called “snowball” strategy with the “community champions”, key community leaders, strengthens both commitment and confidence in project implementation. Another key aspect is the participatory process, that allows residents to be involved in all phases of the search for  the uniqueness of the destination, which contributes to generate and strengthen the community’s own identity and to root the project in the territory. Finally, the collaboration between the public and private sectors is a determining factor in scaling up achievements and ensuring the long-term sustainability of initiatives.

The RurAll project has shown that the combination of tourism and depopulation can be an effective model to combat rural depopulation through a regenerative and inclusive approach. Throughout its phases, progress has been achieved in the co-creation of sustainable and accessible destinations establishing a network of promotion and cooperation between territories that ensures a rooted and lasting implementation thanks to the active participation of local communities.

RurAll stresses the importance of a continued continuous commitment to ensure the viability and expansion of achievements, opening up new opportunities. This is only the beginning as RurAll  is still alive in the territories and consolidates itself as a useful tool for local communities. The platform promotes regenerative tourism and collaboration between territories. The RurAll Network continues to grow and weave new relationships, and we are sure that new opportunities will emerge that will allow us to continue fighting rural depopulation, consolidating an inclusive and inclusive and resilient tourism as an engine of positive change.

The project “Inclusive Experiences against Depopulation” RurAll has been funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and in consortium with Sentir el Alto Tajo, Sponsor an Olive Tree, Ideas for Change, Membranding and Aethnic.

For more information:

• RurAll Network
• Video of the identity creation processIdentity creation process: building an identity system that reflects the values for the growth of the territories.
• Book of RurAll: building a collaborative identity in the service of territorial revitalization and inclusiveness.
• Inclusive Experiences Against Depopulation Project Video