By Laura James & Henrik Halkier, Aalborg University
This blog post reports on the first policy brief from the CROCUS project, specifically directed at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) of the European Commission. DG RTD is responsible for shaping and implementing EU research and innovation policies. The policy brief draws from comprehensive research, including a systematic literature review and analyses of business models across rural and remote European areas, to offer actionable recommendations for building a stronger knowledge base for the future development of sustainable cultural and creative tourism in rural and remote areas.
The starting point for the CROCUS project is the fact that many rural and remote regions in Europe have a rich cultural and natural heritage, but face significant socio-economic challenges such as ageing populations, youth migration, limited economic diversity, and skills shortages. Cultural and creative tourism can offer a potential path to address these issues by stimulating local economies, preserving heritage, and enhancing community cohesion. The aim of CROCUS is to investigate how this potential can be realised through the development of more sustainable business models for cultural and creative tourism in rural and remote areas. Later in the project, we will be developing policy recommendations and guidelines for tourism and rural development policymakers and practitioners, but the first policy recommendations focus on how the EU’s research and innovation policies could help support sustainable cultural and creative tourism development in rural and remote areas.
Understanding Cultural and Creative Tourism in Rural Areas
The policy recommendations are grounded in a systematic review of literature on cultural and creative tourism in Europe (read more about the CROCUS literature review here). The project analysed over 780 sources, combining peer-reviewed academic articles, national databases, and practical case studies. Additionally, detailed analyses were conducted on 13 exemplar business models across partner countries, enabling the identification of critical sustainability issues and best practices relevant to diverse European rural settings.
A key finding from the review is that cultural tourism in rural areas often remains narrowly focused on tangible heritage assets—such as historical sites and museums—while intangible heritage, like traditional storytelling, local crafts, and community rituals, is significantly underexplored. In addition, generic business models are frequently applied, despite the diversity of rural contexts, which have unique socio-economic, environmental, and cultural conditions.
The systematic literature review thus highlighted a strong need to shift from generic tourism approaches to more tailored strategies that respect the specificities of rural settings. Rural areas typically have fewer resources and weaker institutional capacities compared to urban regions, making it essential to develop tourism models that are sensitive to local capabilities, cultural contexts, and environmental limits. In order to create a stronger knowledge base for such a shift towards more place-based development strategies, CROCUS has proposed five key policy recommendations.
1. Prioritise Research on Creative and Intangible Heritage
To address the imbalance in current practices, European research and innovation programmes such as Horizon Europe should specifically target intangible cultural resources. Creative tourism models involving storytelling, interpretative approaches, or immersive local experiences can significantly enrich visitors’ connections to rural communities. Dedicated funding should be allocated for pilot projects to develop and test these innovative business models, reducing the financial risks for local communities. The systematic review underscores that intangible resources, such as local legends, cultural traditions, and community narratives, remain relatively unexplored despite their potential to significantly enhance tourism experiences.
2. Adopt Place-Based Approaches and Monitoring
The concept of ‘place-sensitivity’ emerged strongly from the research, emphasizing the need for tourism development approaches uniquely tailored to local contexts. Policymakers should incentivise projects that clearly demonstrate an understanding of local specifics and engage community stakeholders deeply in the planning and execution processes. To effectively monitor these efforts, new indicators extending beyond purely economic impacts—such as quality of life, community cohesion, and environmental sustainability—should be developed and implemented. Training programmes and mentorship initiatives are essential to empower rural communities, equipping them with skills in digital marketing, heritage preservation, and cultural interpretation, enabling local residents to actively manage and sustainably develop tourism.
3. Prioritise Research on Cross-Border Collaboration in Cultural Tourism
Cross-border cooperation emerges as a strategy for overcoming the peripheral nature of many rural and remote areas. Despite clear advantages—such as shared infrastructure, expanded market access, and common cultural resources—there remains a significant gap in understanding how effective frameworks for such collaborations can be built and maintained. Policymakers should develop clear governance structures and consistent funding mechanisms at EU, national, and regional levels to support generation of knowledge about how to bring about sustained cross-border cooperation in cultural and creative tourism.
4. Innovative and Sustainable Business Models
CROCUS research identified four core creative and cultural tourism business models—Looking & Listening, Making & Doing, Touring, and Buying & Consuming—each with distinct sustainability challenges (read more here). For example, Touring models may struggle with sustainable forms of transport, while Making and Doing models require community participation. Policymakers should thus support research into innovative adaptations of these business models, considering environmental sustainability, community engagement, and economic resilience tailored to each context. Supporting the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) for sustainability that are tailored to different business models should also be prioritised.
5. Coordinate Macro-Regional Strategies with Other EU Programmes
The EU’s four macro-regional strategies – for the Baltic, Alpine, Danube, and Adriatic-Ionian regions respectively – all prioritise sustainable cultural tourism as part of their promotion of development tailored to the specific needs of their macro-regions. Effective coordination between Macro-Regional Strategies and various EU funding programmes such as Horizon Europe, Cohesion Policy, LEADER, Creative Europe, and Erasmus+ is therefore essential. Policymakers should ensure alignment and complementary actions across these programmes, fostering synergies and amplifying the overall impact of cultural and creative tourism initiatives. Enhanced coordination can support scaling successful pilot initiatives, facilitate knowledge exchange, and improve access to structural investments. Additionally, promoting collaboration between DG RTD and other Directorates-General such as DG REGIO and DG AGRI will help ensure comprehensive and integrated support for rural and remote areas.
Closing Knowledge Gaps
The insights from the CROCUS project underscore the untapped potential of cultural and creative tourism to contribute to the sustainability and vitality of Europe’s rural and remote areas. However, realising this potential requires a refocusing of European research and innovation policies to better address local specificities, support intangible heritage, and foster cross-border and inter-programme collaboration. By prioritising place-based approaches, sustainable business models, and coordinated funding mechanisms, EU institutions can help ensure that rural communities are not just included in, but actively shape, the future of European tourism.