Segovia (TAN): Tourism and innovation could solve problems of depopulation in various rural areas of the country, a meeting organised by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) held here last week decided.
The forum on “Facing the Demographic Challenge through Tourism and Innovation” was attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, María Reyes Maroto; the President of the Junta de Castilla y León, Juan Vicente Herrera; the Mayor of Segovia, Clara Isabel Luquero; and UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.
More than a hundred people attended the meeting.
“The UNWTO wants to work alongside Spain to turn the discussion on the challenge of rural depopulation into a conversation about the opportunities that the rural environment represents,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, showing the United Nations agency’s support in searching for solutions through tourism. “The 2030 Agenda is committed to leaving no one behind, including rural areas and their inhabitants.”
He pointed out that as a sector that represents one of every ten jobs in the world.
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, highlighted the efforts being made by the UNWTO and advocated the creation of opportunities in the interior regions of Spain through rural tourism, digital transformation and new models of economic activity.
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During the event, leading figures from the political, business and cultural spheres addressed the challenges posed by the gradual loss of population in rural areas. In addition, many experts in the field discussed the role of rural tourism as a tool for socio-economic revitalization, sustainability and territorial rebalancing.
Furthermore, various successful cases of public-private collaboration were analysed, with SEGITTUR providing insights in the field of smart destinations.
