Description
This project will focus on rural areas in the Centre region, where young people have few career opportunities. The goal is to train 20 vulnerable young people as local mediators for Ethical and Responsible Tourism (ERT) with the involvement of local communities, and to create a coordination network of young local mediators. The promotion of this set of initiatives is expected to enable social changes at the local level, by promoting tourism in ways which protect the environmental, cultural and historical heritage. It should be noted that female unemployment is particularly high in these areas. The project will include the empowerment of 15 women from villages for the development of new economic activities in ERT, helping to ensure a local sustainability basis and the promotion of gender equality. Other initiatives are also planned, including the establishment of new partnerships with tourism stakeholders in the region.
Summary of project results
In rural areas, young people have few career opportunities. The lack of perspective, other than that of immigration, leads to groups of young people engaging in illicit activities, which creates serious disturbances in the environment where they live. When leaving secondary education, since they do not continue their studies to higher education, these young people should be involved in activities preparing them for the labour market and reducing the risk of unemployment. In S. Pedro do Sul municipality (centre-north of Portugal) the unemployment rate of young people aged 15/24 is 21.5% (2011) (excluding young migrants). The total unemployment rate for women is 14.3%, while that for men is 8.6%). The project was able to call the attention of the rural population to the advantages of ethical and responsible tourism as a means to generate revenues and create jobs in a sustainable way. The creation of a cooperative to explore the endogenous natural resources of the villages, developing tourism by activating previously abandoned or unused rural houses for accommodation and organising guided visits and tour itineraries was an important outcome of the project to ensure continuity to the work carried out and jobs to the involved young adults. A guide on ethical and responsible tourism was produced to be distributed not only to tourists but also to the village populations. 20 tourism mediators/guides have been trained to develop ethical and responsible tourism, 15 of which decided to create the cooperative. The initial targets have been met. On the accommodation side, the project has mobilised 12 women to participate in the project (out of the 40 in condition to do so) and 14 rural houses to accommodate tourists. 36 tourist beds were thus made available in those 14 houses and an inter-village network of rural houses was set up to manage and market the product. The project induced the establishment of new partnerships with 5 public and private entities in the municipality creating new conditions for joint work.
Summary of bilateral results