As part of the Crocus Project on Cross-Border Cultural and Creative Tourism in Rural and Remote Areas we have been looking for examples of business models that can help inform our work. We have been looking at many different types of Cultural and Creative Tourism (CCT), including experiences based on both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Our literature review of the CCT field indicated that Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is particularly important for rural areas

In the Crocus Project we have been examining the development of cross-border cultural and creative tourism in rural and remote areas. As in many previous projects, the basic approach has been to combine teams located on different sides of the border to develop cross-border activities. However, as a recent presentation to the University of the Greater Region (UniGR) -Center for Border Studies based at Trier University examined, the border often disappears in such projects. The

In a recent paper published as part of the Crocus Project we highlighted the changing rhetoric about borders in Europe. In the light of subsequent events in Ceuta and the use of these to inflame populist sentiments about migration, it seems that the dangers we flagged up regarding ‘re-bordering’ in Europe are becoming all too real. After a long period of de-bordering following the Schengen agreement 40 years ago, there are now growing signs of European re-bordering in respons

As the Crocus Project deals with cross-border cultural and creative tourism, we were intrigued by a recent letter to the Guardian newspaper headed: “On the gravy trail: cross-border food links.” This turned out to be a British reader who was inspired by an article on the “Chickpea trail” to write about the origins of “the classic Danish version of a hamburger” – the bøfsandwich. Prize-winning bøfsandwich This version of a steak sandwich contains a cooked ground beef patty pl

As we reported in previous posts, festivals and events are under increasing pressure from rising costs, lack of volunteers, pressures on space and increased regulation. A recent report by the Dutch news service NOS has outlined the problems for community events across the country. A major issue is the increased bureaucracy attached to even the smallest events. There are a growing number of rules related to event permits, safety and first aid, training and traffic management.

Looking at the development of the wine drinking market, one might be forgiven for thinking there isn’t much of a future for wine tourism. Globally, wine consumption and production volumes continue to fall, with a 4% decline in the US wine market in 2024. But help is at hand. Wineries are reacting to this challenging market by diversifying, and wine tourism is one of the major growth areas. A recent report by Roberta Garibaldi shows that in 2026, around 18 million Italians wil

There was a time when just going to the Alpujarras, with their picturesque white villages nestling in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia, was enough for a fulfilling holiday. Those days are long gone, as travellers increasingly seek meaning and fulfilment from their holidays. A writer from the Guardian discovered as much when invited to sample a ‘wild clay ceramics retreat’ at Las Mecías, a “regenerative farm & experiential guesthouse in the Alpujarras”. If this

If you want to get away from it all, there are few better places than the middle of the Baltic sea. Bornholm, a tiny Danish island closer to Sweden, Germany or Poland than it is to Denmark, is the perfect rural tourism getaway. But the pressure for rural and remote areas to reinvent themselves as new centres of creativity and knowledge development is also palpable in Bornholm. As the Visit Bornholm website underlines “you can hardly move on Bornholm without meeting an artis

A recent report from the European Commission highlights the role of cultural and creative tourism in conserving Europe's rich heritage while supporting local communities. Cultural tourism accounts for nearly 40% of all European tourism and generates substantial spending from the longer stays of cultural and creative tourists. The report explores innovative projects focused on integrating sustainability into cultural tourism practices, particularly in less-known and remote reg

The concept of street art tends to evoke images of inner city streets decorated with murals. But increasingly the practice of street art is moving beyond the confines of the city and out into rural and remote settings. A recent feature in Understory Magazine highlighted the growing rural graffiti movement as an example of rural creativity. Highlighting “Epic Rural Murals” from spray-painted silos in Australia to barn wall murals in the American Midwest, the article argued th

As the experience economy has developed, the range and variety of experiences on offer has become overwhelming. This is good news if you know what you want, but for many consumers this creates ‘choice stress’. Not only do we have to choose from among a vast array of experiences, but our choices will also be judged by others when we post about them on social media. We are therefore seeing a ‘curatorial turn’ in tourism, with experiences being selected by human experts, influen