Discovering rural Europe through hiking trails

ended

The main objective of HikingEurope is to promote a transnational network of rural touristic routes structured in several hiking itineraries across Europe. The partnership gathers 8 members from 6 different EU countries: Spain (Catalonia), Italy (Emilia Romagna), Croatia (Dubrovnik-Neretva), Ireland (Donegal), Austria and Germany. In total, 1,170 km of hiking routes in 4 different EU countries. Participant regions gather with a common interest of developing an alternative approach to mass tourism, based on either the “Sun and sand” model or large concentration of visitors in specific locations (cities, etc.). This differentiation will allow the development of tourism at a territorial level, reducing concentration in specific locations and spreading the benefits across the territory, promoting cohesion, sustainability and local community participation. Therefore, HikingEurope addresses the issue of tourism diversification in European regions that have traditionally focused on mass tourism but are willing to commit with a more sustainable, responsible and high-quality alternative approach based in less explored areas, specifically in rural locations. These destinations offer experiences all year round (contributing to deseasonalisation) and combine cultural and natural sites with the discovery of local products. The project also contributes to territorial balance and cohesion by fostering local economic development in areas traditionally less exposed to international tourism.