Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border Territory
The research contributes to developing and implementing four tourist hubs in Salamanca, León, and Zamora (Spain) territories and the District of Guarda (Portugal). These hubs will act as innovation pivots promoting innovative, sustainable, and inclusive rural tourism and creating specific territoria...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Tourism and Hospitality |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/6/1/23 |
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| _version_ | 1850087815881162752 |
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| author | Teresa Paiva Teresa Felgueira Catarina Alves Adriano Costa |
| author_facet | Teresa Paiva Teresa Felgueira Catarina Alves Adriano Costa |
| author_sort | Teresa Paiva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The research contributes to developing and implementing four tourist hubs in Salamanca, León, and Zamora (Spain) territories and the District of Guarda (Portugal). These hubs will act as innovation pivots promoting innovative, sustainable, and inclusive rural tourism and creating specific territorial ecosystems in each region. The main objective is to boost new economic activities and generate employment, especially for priority groups, through smart specialisation and strengthening local economies. The research also focuses on strengthening tourism value chains, making them more competitive and resilient, emphasising accessibility and inclusion. Within a focus group methodology, a SOAR analysis was undertaken. Three stakeholder groups from Portugal and Spain participated in this study: consumers, distributors/marketing professionals (tour operators, tourist offices), and producers (hotels, restaurants, and museums). They participated in collaborative activities within the SOAR framework to understand the needs of tourists, especially those with reduced mobility, and to identify barriers and opportunities for innovation in the sector. The results offer a framework for tourism providers to develop Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems by enhancing understanding and improving accessibility for groups with specific needs. It outlines actionable methods for creating inclusive tourism hubs as “innovation pivots,” establishing performance metrics, and fostering stakeholder collaboration to guide evidence-based policies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4287c4ed0e3f4fa4a4dabd3ebdb788d6 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-5768 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tourism and Hospitality |
| spelling | doaj-art-4287c4ed0e3f4fa4a4dabd3ebdb788d62025-08-20T02:43:09ZengMDPI AGTourism and Hospitality2673-57682025-02-01612310.3390/tourhosp6010023Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border TerritoryTeresa Paiva0Teresa Felgueira1Catarina Alves2Adriano Costa3BRIDGES—Biotechnology Research, Innovation and Design for Health Products, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Av. Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, 50, 6300-559 Guarda, PortugalSchool of Technology and Management, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Av. Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, 50, 6300-559 Guarda, PortugalSchool of Technology and Management, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Av. Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, 50, 6300-559 Guarda, PortugalSchool of Tourism and Hospitality, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Av. Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, 50, 6300-559 Guarda, PortugalThe research contributes to developing and implementing four tourist hubs in Salamanca, León, and Zamora (Spain) territories and the District of Guarda (Portugal). These hubs will act as innovation pivots promoting innovative, sustainable, and inclusive rural tourism and creating specific territorial ecosystems in each region. The main objective is to boost new economic activities and generate employment, especially for priority groups, through smart specialisation and strengthening local economies. The research also focuses on strengthening tourism value chains, making them more competitive and resilient, emphasising accessibility and inclusion. Within a focus group methodology, a SOAR analysis was undertaken. Three stakeholder groups from Portugal and Spain participated in this study: consumers, distributors/marketing professionals (tour operators, tourist offices), and producers (hotels, restaurants, and museums). They participated in collaborative activities within the SOAR framework to understand the needs of tourists, especially those with reduced mobility, and to identify barriers and opportunities for innovation in the sector. The results offer a framework for tourism providers to develop Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems by enhancing understanding and improving accessibility for groups with specific needs. It outlines actionable methods for creating inclusive tourism hubs as “innovation pivots,” establishing performance metrics, and fostering stakeholder collaboration to guide evidence-based policies.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/6/1/23accessible and inclusive tourismtourism hubs and ecosystemsrural tourismborder territory |
| spellingShingle | Teresa Paiva Teresa Felgueira Catarina Alves Adriano Costa Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border Territory Tourism and Hospitality accessible and inclusive tourism tourism hubs and ecosystems rural tourism border territory |
| title | Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border Territory |
| title_full | Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border Territory |
| title_fullStr | Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border Territory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border Territory |
| title_short | Strategies for Building Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems in Cross-Border Regions: The Case of Rural and Border Territory |
| title_sort | strategies for building accessible and inclusive rural tourism ecosystems in cross border regions the case of rural and border territory |
| topic | accessible and inclusive tourism tourism hubs and ecosystems rural tourism border territory |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/6/1/23 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT teresapaiva strategiesforbuildingaccessibleandinclusiveruraltourismecosystemsincrossborderregionsthecaseofruralandborderterritory AT teresafelgueira strategiesforbuildingaccessibleandinclusiveruraltourismecosystemsincrossborderregionsthecaseofruralandborderterritory AT catarinaalves strategiesforbuildingaccessibleandinclusiveruraltourismecosystemsincrossborderregionsthecaseofruralandborderterritory AT adrianocosta strategiesforbuildingaccessibleandinclusiveruraltourismecosystemsincrossborderregionsthecaseofruralandborderterritory |