Start of the project: 1 September 2022

End of the project: 31 August 2024

Rural tourism and similar services such as eco-tourism, farm-tourism and sustainable tourism respond to the trends of the European and worldwide tourism demand, increased by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that generates additional demand for similar services.

Traditionally based on local or regional demand, this sector has now the opportunity o extend markets by working together on a transnational base in the Eurocluster Rural Tourism - ERT.

It combines the longstanding work and experience of partners like Ruraltour and Euracademy in the field of networking, information exchange, training etc., with the expertise, the cross-sectoral background and the existing projects related to tourism, environment and sustainability of Venetian Cluster, the Tourism Cluster of Aragón, the National Cluster of Czech Republic and a regional development agency in Romania.

This way the ERT extends the concept of professional organizations to the widest understanding of the cluster concept. It thus provides a unique opportunity to upscale activities and at the same time, create a critical mass of European rural tourism services in 15+ countries, focused on this form of collaboration under a transnational vision. The general objective is creating the basic vision, objectives and operative structure for an Eurocluster “rural tourism”.

This structure addresses all of the five objectives of the call. In particular, it aims at strengthening and enhancing the networking, innovation, education and internationalization opportunities for the participating SMEs to be directly supported by the ERT.