Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TOURAL (Multidimensional model of tourism verticals driving the sustainable balanced growth among rural & remote grids and urban clusters of rural regions, fostering macro-regional cooperation)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-03-31
The motivation behind the TOURAL project is to unlock the potential of rural and remote regions in Europe by using sustainable tourism as a tool for economic diversification, cultural preservation, and social inclusion. TOURAL project regards rural and remote areas across Europe that often face economic stagnation due to over-reliance on traditional sectors like agriculture and forestry. These regions, however, possess rich cultural and natural assets that remain underutilized. The European Commission’s “Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas” emphasizes the need to diversify rural economies and enhance their resilience. Tourism, particularly cultural and creative tourism, is identified as a key driver for sustainable development in these areas.
The TOURAL project—short for "Multidimensional model of tourism verticals driving the sustainable balanced growth among rural & remote grids and urban clusters of rural regions, fostering macro-regional cooperation"—aims to support tourism development in rural regions while balancing growth between urban clusters and remote areas.
The project follows a threefold approach:
1. Multidimensional, it addresses complementary tourism sectors such as underwater cultural and nature heritage tourism, cultural and creative tourism, cultural science tourism, and silver tourism.
2. Participatory, it engages stakeholders in designing policies and tourism offerings, co-creating business models and products, and validating small-scale tourism services.
3. Integrated, it promotes joint planning and business development across borders with integrated value chains and policymaking.
The project involves partners from countries including Greece, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Türkiye, and France, focusing particularly on the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region and the Black Sea Basin.
TOURAL aims to diversify rural economies by developing sustainable tourism models and also preserve local culture through the promotion of cultural and creative tourism. Through the consolidated actions of the consortium, the project aims to enhance social inclusion by involving local communities in the tourism value chain (Living Labs). Furthermore, through innovative models, TOURAL will attempt to foster environmental sustainability by encouraging responsible tourism practices. These efforts align with the EU Tourism Transition Pathway and broader European strategies for inclusive and sustainable growth.
Therefore, the social sciences and humanities also play a central role in TOURAL by analyzing tourism’s cultural and societal impacts, understanding community needs and local identities and shaping policies that are culturally and socially informed. This interdisciplinary approach ensures tourism development is both inclusive and respectful of local traditions and values.
The TOURAL project—short for "Multidimensional model of tourism verticals driving the sustainable balanced growth among rural & remote grids and urban clusters of rural regions, fostering macro-regional cooperation"—aims to support tourism development in rural regions while balancing growth between urban clusters and remote areas.
The project follows a threefold approach:
1. Multidimensional, it addresses complementary tourism sectors such as underwater cultural and nature heritage tourism, cultural and creative tourism, cultural science tourism, and silver tourism.
2. Participatory, it engages stakeholders in designing policies and tourism offerings, co-creating business models and products, and validating small-scale tourism services.
3. Integrated, it promotes joint planning and business development across borders with integrated value chains and policymaking.
The project involves partners from countries including Greece, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Türkiye, and France, focusing particularly on the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region and the Black Sea Basin.
TOURAL aims to diversify rural economies by developing sustainable tourism models and also preserve local culture through the promotion of cultural and creative tourism. Through the consolidated actions of the consortium, the project aims to enhance social inclusion by involving local communities in the tourism value chain (Living Labs). Furthermore, through innovative models, TOURAL will attempt to foster environmental sustainability by encouraging responsible tourism practices. These efforts align with the EU Tourism Transition Pathway and broader European strategies for inclusive and sustainable growth.
Therefore, the social sciences and humanities also play a central role in TOURAL by analyzing tourism’s cultural and societal impacts, understanding community needs and local identities and shaping policies that are culturally and socially informed. This interdisciplinary approach ensures tourism development is both inclusive and respectful of local traditions and values.
The TOURAL project has made significant progress in its initial phase by establishing robust management, active participation and quality assurance structures, alongside launching its official website. Foundational analyses were completed, including regional and macro-regional tourism assessments and a comprehensive review of relevant policy frameworks.
Stakeholder engagement has been a key focus (WP2). The project team mapped key stakeholders across involved regions and developed a Stakeholders’ Engagement Plan, which is now in implementation. Parallel to this, the design of the multidimensional UCCST (Underwater Cultural, Creative, Science, and Silver Tourism) model was initiated, incorporating early stakeholder input.
To support effective model implementation, the project developed multi-objective design methodologies specifically adapted to the needs of UCCST. Additionally, initial sustainability assessments were performed, identifying both potential barriers and strategies to mitigate them.
In parallel, initial sustainability assessments were carried out alongside the identification of potential barriers and corresponding mitigation strategies. Data management plans and quality assurance procedures were implemented to support consistent and reliable project outcomes. Additionally, planning commenced for small-scale pilot projects intended to test and validate early concepts.
Main Achievements to Date:
1. Launch of the official project website and establishment.
2. Completion of regional and macro-regional tourism and policy analyses.
3. Stakeholder mapping and active engagement across participating countries.
4. Design of the methodology and main aspects of the UCCST model.
5. Initiation of tailored multi-objective optimization methods for the UCCST model.
6. Execution of preliminary sustainability assessments and barrier analysis.
7. Implementation of data management and quality assurance protocols.
8. Preparation for early pilot testing.
9. Development of good practices for CCT
10. Execution of 4 out of 6 Living Labs.
These efforts lay a strong foundation for the TOURAL project’s next phases, ensuring a strategic and well-supported path toward impactful and sustainable tourism development in rural and remote regions.
Stakeholder engagement has been a key focus (WP2). The project team mapped key stakeholders across involved regions and developed a Stakeholders’ Engagement Plan, which is now in implementation. Parallel to this, the design of the multidimensional UCCST (Underwater Cultural, Creative, Science, and Silver Tourism) model was initiated, incorporating early stakeholder input.
To support effective model implementation, the project developed multi-objective design methodologies specifically adapted to the needs of UCCST. Additionally, initial sustainability assessments were performed, identifying both potential barriers and strategies to mitigate them.
In parallel, initial sustainability assessments were carried out alongside the identification of potential barriers and corresponding mitigation strategies. Data management plans and quality assurance procedures were implemented to support consistent and reliable project outcomes. Additionally, planning commenced for small-scale pilot projects intended to test and validate early concepts.
Main Achievements to Date:
1. Launch of the official project website and establishment.
2. Completion of regional and macro-regional tourism and policy analyses.
3. Stakeholder mapping and active engagement across participating countries.
4. Design of the methodology and main aspects of the UCCST model.
5. Initiation of tailored multi-objective optimization methods for the UCCST model.
6. Execution of preliminary sustainability assessments and barrier analysis.
7. Implementation of data management and quality assurance protocols.
8. Preparation for early pilot testing.
9. Development of good practices for CCT
10. Execution of 4 out of 6 Living Labs.
These efforts lay a strong foundation for the TOURAL project’s next phases, ensuring a strategic and well-supported path toward impactful and sustainable tourism development in rural and remote regions.
The UCCST model developed by TOURAL (M16) goes beyond current tourism frameworks by integrating four niche sectors—underwater cultural, creative, science, and silver tourism—into a single, multidimensional approach tailored for rural and remote regions. It is co-designed with stakeholders, incorporates multi-objective optimization to balance sustainability, economic, and social goals, and is scalable across macro-regions. This represents a significant step forward in designing inclusive, data-driven, and cross-sectoral tourism models.