“This is pretty therapeutic, isn’t it?” Creative regenerative tourism in the countryside

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 sounds far from the traditional image of rural tourism – that’s because it is. Over the past 30 years many remote villages abandoned by their original inhabitants have been turned into diffuse hotels – places to stay and soak up the tranquil atmosphere. Gradually, however, a change has taken place in both the producers and consumers in the rural tourism system.

The producers in this case are a couple from Barcelona, who moved here to escape the urban throng and to immerse themselves in nature and the art of making.  The farm itself, which is owned by Dutch couple Laura and Nina, bills itself as a “A collaborative space for creatives and like-minded individuals to congregate, in the form of a retreat or series of workshops.” Laura and Nina have apparently worked in many different countries including the UK, Australia, Denmark as well as their native Netherlands before deciding to settle in southern Spain. As well as creative tourism options, the farm also has “carefully curated accommodations” and a swimming pool.

The trend towards mobile urbanites becoming producers of rural experiences has been noted in studies in different parts of the world. In Japan, Simona Zollett and Meng Qu note a ‘counterurbanisation’ trend, in which rural newcomers use their knowledge of urban lifestyles to create new experiences in the countryside. In the Lofoten Islands in Arctic Norway, Leick, Gretzinger & Roddvik show that newcomers from urban areas can thrive because they contribute their knowledge of tourism demand to the local rural scene.  

Of course, the newcomers import the urban vibe into the countryside, including the latest fad for ‘regenerative’ living. Not many seem to worry about what this actually means, but it does seem to draw the punters in. The wild clay workshop, for example, attracted “a model from Taiwan, a Spanish project manager, a French yoga teacher, a Polish AI expert and a clarinettist from High Wycombe.” They are drawn by the prospect of developing a more sustainable approach to pottery by foraging for ‘wild clay’. The workshop is run by Tierra de Arcillas, an artisanal ceramics business providing  workshops in Spanish and English. The potential for creative tourism to drive repeat business through skilled consumption is clear from the fact that this was Adam’s second pottery retreat in Spain. We also find out that the pottery retreat has a therapeutic function for participants escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

Hunting down wild clay

This is just one example of the trend towards ex-pat ruralisation anchored in the creative industries and tourism. With many rural areas suffering from depopulation there are usually cheap properties to be snapped up, even if these are usually in need of renovation. Companies like Renovita now offer to help you find a €1 house in Italy, taking advantage of the growing number of rural municipalities offering cheap houses to those willing to invest. The stream of people from the cities moving to these areas is also stimulated by TV programmes such as Channel 4’s ‘Help, We Bought a Village’, which shows how “Intrepid Brits restore empty and unloved settlements heading steadily for collapse, as they breathe new life into remote villages, hamlets, borgos and cortijos abroad”. We’ve been having fun watching Anna and Kevin transforming a rambling 17th farm into a stylish rural retreat. The TV coverage also becomes part of the attraction:

“As featured in Help! We Bought a village our beautiful and stylish gite with heated pool and wood fired jacuzzi. Come and enjoy gazing at the stars and  appreciate the calm and tranquillity”

Filming for Help, We Bought a Village

These kinds of projects can be long and expensive, as the TV series shows. But in other cases no big investments are needed. At Las Mecías, for example, the accommodation turns out to be a tiny home, no doubt charming enough if you are not staying long. But most importantly for the producers, these types of development don’t require planning permission or expensive permits. No doubt saving a bit of cash for the swimming pool.