We are pleased to announce the kick off meeting of the CROCUS project took place from April 22 to 24, 2024, at Aalborg University. CROCUS, an acronym for "Cultural and Creative Tourism in Rural and Remote Areas: Sustainable Business Models, Cooperation, and Policies," aims to address socio-economic challenges faced by rural and remote areas (RRA) through the promotion of cultural and creative tourism (CCT).
RRA are rich in cultural heritage, yet many suffer from socio-economic issues such as an ageing population, out-migration, and low incomes. Cultural and creative tourism has the potential to alleviate these challenges by creating sustainable jobs and investment opportunities.
The project features a multi-scalar research design, innovative cross-border living labs, and participatory processes for sustainable business model prototyping. The consortium includes leading scholars and practitioners with extensive experience in cross-border tourism development, stakeholder engagement, and policy analysis. CROCUS represents the first systematic study of cross-border CCT cooperation in RRA.
CROCUS is coordinated by the University of Aalborg and involves ten partners, including Italy (University of Bergamo), the Netherlands (Association for Tourism and Leisure), Slovenia (University of Maribor), Finland (University of Oulu), Bulgaria (Zangador Research Institute), Croatia (University of Rijeka), Estonia (University of Tallinn), Group NAO and Hungary (University of Pannonia).