On 22 April, a new stakeholder engagement meeting was organised by EXO in Basilicata (Southern Italy).
Within the framework of the CLUSTERATLAS4MED project, EXO organised a second event which represented a key step in the local animation process, bringing together stakeholders from the rural tourism sector to discuss shared development perspectives and strengthen cooperation at local level.
Organised in collaboration with the Local Action Group – GAL Lucania Interiore, the meeting confirmed the strategic role of Local Action Groups as proximity actors, capable of facilitating dialogue between communities, enterprises, and institutions in rural areas.
Institutional contributions highlighted the importance of building a structured regional cluster approach, capable of integrating local needs into a broader strategic framework and connecting them to Euro-Mediterranean dynamics.
The project team highlighted the importance of promoting participatory approaches through Rural Living Labs, designed as permanent spaces for co-creation between public and private actors, introducing these activities as a next step to be implemented together with stakeholders.
The meeting further built on the experience of “Basilicata Rurale”, a previous initiative involving around 80 SMEs from the tourism value chain, which contributed to the development of a shared territorial database and a co-creation process with local operators. This experience is now considered a key foundation for the development of a regional “spoke” within CLUSTERATLAS4MED, linking local tourism systems to wider European and Mediterranean networks.
The discussion confirmed the ambition of the project: to create a structured regional cluster acting as a local spoke within an emerging Euro-Mediterranean hub, capable of delivering tailored services such as data access, training, market expansion, and support for participation in funding programmes.
The event concluded with a roundtable discussion, where stakeholders exchanged views on opportunities for rural tourism development, highlighting the importance of cooperation based on shared knowledge, quality of offer, and a long-term territorial vision.
New local events will soon be implemented by all partners, contributing to an integrated and shared vision for the future of rural tourism SMEs in the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Last Update
24/04/2026
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