CROCUS Cross-border Cultural and Creative Tourism in Rural and Remote Areas

The CROCUS project explores innovative and sustainable business models for cultural and creative tourism in rural areas in eight cross-border regions in Europe. Rural and remote areas are rich in cultural heritage, yet many suffer from socio-economic issue. Cultural and creative tourism can alleviate these challenges by creating sustainable jobs and investment opportunities.

CROCUS considers the place-specific features of each region and tailors its activities by local areas and communities. Therefore, in every region, a Living Lab will be established – a space for open innovation where real-life issues are addressed through co-creation and constant consultation with representatives from business, society, and academia. Building on current practices and initiatives, Living Labs engage local stakeholders to identify new or improved business models for cultural tourism.

CROCUS is coordinated by Aalborg University and involves partners from across Europe:

• Denmark (Aalborg University, Group NAO),
• Italy (University of Bergamo),
• The Netherlands (Association for Tourism and Leisure Education),
• Slovenia (University of Maribor),
• Finland (University of Oulu),
• Bulgaria (Zangandor Research Institute),
• Croatia (University of Rijeka),
• Estonia (Tallinn University),
• Hungary (University of Pannonia).

Together, the CROCUS consortium covers the four EU macro-regions, from the Baltic in the north, via the Alps and the Danube, to the Ionian and Adriatic in the south.

In CROCUS, Zangador Research Institute is a co-leader of WP4 Cross-Border Living Lab Areas: Resources, Needs & Challenges.

The project is funded by the European Union, Horizon Europe Grant Agreement No. 101132454.

More about the project can be found here