Rural Migrantour – Paths of Recovery Erasmus Project

Project Title

Rural Migrantour – Paths of Recovery

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Rural development and urbanisation; Social entrepreneurship / social innovation

Project Summary

The project Rural Migrantour – Paths of Recovery will allow us to expand Migrantour as established European network of intercultural walks to the rural regions, paving the way for recovery during / after the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on rural youth from vulnerable contexts due to geographical, social and cultural obstacles. Consequences of pandemic are the reduction of employment opportunities, the closure of borders and the strengthening of extremist and xenophobic policies throughout Europe, and rural areas are no exception. The project aims to empower youngsters in creating opportunities in the field of responsible tourism, fosters upskilling and develops a sense of belonging. Social inclusion and active citizenship will be developed through creative use of cultural heritage, viewing peripheral, depopulated or otherwise affected rural regions as creative spaces of vivid cultural dialogue and diversity which hold great potential for youngsters who are willing to get engaged as intercultural guides, activating their potential in the field of responsible tourism. By establishing international cooperation, we will motivate target groups to recognize the importance of cooperation, active participation and social inclusion as fundamental values ​​of the European Union. The project involves 5 partner organizations from Slovenia, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Bulgaria with respective/complementary expertise in project management, storytelling, social inclusion and upskilling of the youth, sustainable cultural tourism, Migrantour Network, digital mapping, and web platforms. The project intends to implement: – 3 International project meetings – 2 Trainings of mentors and staff – 4 Intellectual outputs – 6 Multiplier events – Activities for evaluation, monitoring and evaluation – Work with test groups in 6 local environments. The project will take place between 1.3.2021 and 28.2.2023. The current proposal builds on the successful and sustainable Migrantour network and enhances it by contributing the following 4 planned Intellectual Outputs: 1.) Development of 6 walking Itineraries and Scripts 2.) Online archive of interactive digital story maps 3.) Virtual walks 4.) RuralMigrantourPils Vlog collection. All intellectual results will be interconnected, with the aim of: expanding the existing Migrantour network into new – rural – environments; creating user-centered creative learning tools that are accessible as an open source; launching a digital archive of interactive story maps that will contain narratives of ‘neglected’ histories, thus broadening European cultural heritage. The project foresees an enormous and effective impact at local, regional, national and European level on various target groups and it is certainly sustainable also after the project ends; as the Rural Migrantour walks generate job opportunities in the tourism sector while they promote civic participation and social inclusion changing the narrative on migration to highlight its positive contribution to local cultural heritage. The project will be an example of sustainable tourism, as the walks are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable and will expand zero-mile cultural heritage tourism opportunities in the partner environments.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 110302 Eur

Project Coordinator

DRUSTVO ZA TRAJNOSTNI RAZVOJ TERRAVERA & Country: SI

Project Partners

• Stichting Pocket Stories
• VIAGGI SOLIDALI SOCIETA’ COOPERATIVA SOCIALE ONLUS
• LAG Svilengrad Areal
• Koinoniki Synetairistiki Epicheirisi Syllogikis kai Koinonikis Ofeleias Monopatia tis Elladas