Challenges for rural areas

Rural territory must be vivid and attractive for people to avoid emigration to urban areas. Good access to broadband, digital services, ageing population, and accessibility are the most relevant challenges that need to be addressed.

• Digitalization – Ms. Marie-Noël Neven, Smart Eco-Villages 
• Active Ageing – Silvio Bonfiglio, AGE Platform and Ancescao 
• Accessibility of tourism services – Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director ENAT 

Practical case:  EGWA – European Greenways – Mr. Giovanni A. Enna / Mr Gianpaolo Cirone 

Opportunities for rural areas through tourism

A changing demand and values of visitors offer opportunities for unexploited rural resources.  Landscape and nature are amongst the most valued assets for tourism. Individual and authentic personal experiences are now preferred over standardized mass tourism, and new developments in logistics can open up urban markets for rural local products.

• Nature Parks – BirdLife International, Ms Federica Luoni
• Agroforestry and landscape – AG Forward Patrick Worms

Distribution of eco and local products – Mr. Alberto Palacios, Farmidable

Ways forward

Changes in the European agriculture and regional development policy framework open new chances to create synergies between rural and urban areas. Find out about the new framework, and the already existing best practice experiences to transform these chances into reality.

• ELARD – Ms Kirsten Birke-Lund
• DG Agriculture – Karolina Jasinska
• Rural Entrepreneurship hubs – O’Gonnelloe / Ireland, Mr. Peadar Casey

Practical case:  Ms. Federica Burini – University of Bergamo