Tourism and Rural Development
The study commissioned to CASE by the Committee of the Regions and entitled “Tourism and Rural Development” is to provide a brief analysis of the main barriers and enablers to tourism as part of rural development in the European Union from the perspective of subnational governments. The study also will pay attention to identify supporting policy and financing mechanisms and highlighting creative practice. The examples provided can be useful research for local and regional governments.
The study will support the CoR’s policy work on both tourism and rural development and could be used to inform the CoR’s position in relation to the Council’s conclusion on the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas. Finally te study would also be supported by UNWTO as a per of the action plan activities for 2023.
The study will consist of four parts:
- Part 1 of the study, based on desk research and interviews, will define rural tourism and assess its role in the EU rural development process. It will weigh up the pros and cons of rural tourism and explore the challenges and opportunities for public authorities interested in boosting their rural tourism profiles and making tourism an effective tool for rural development.
- In Part 2, CASE will analyse the relationship between the LTVRA and tourism policy and will describe how to access funds to support such policy developments.
- Part 3 will provide a review of 3-4 good practice examples, highlighting progress made in reviving (stimulating) declining rural areas thanks to tourism activities. CASE will assess these case studies and evaluate their scalability and potential for reproduction in other regions.
- In Part 4, CASE will summarise the findings and present recommendations for rural cities and regions as well as for the Union as a whole.
Client: the Committee of the Regions
