{"id":13428,"date":"2025-10-24T13:55:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T10:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/?p=13428"},"modified":"2025-10-24T14:06:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T11:06:13","slug":"digaccessagrotourism-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/news\/digaccessagrotourism-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"DigAccessAgrotourism Newsletter | Issue 2 \u2013 October 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We are excited to share the second issue of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/projects-en\/vet-en\/digaccessagrotourism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DigAccessAgrotourism<\/a> newsletter<\/strong>, a key communication channel for tracking the progress, milestones, and stories emerging from this ambitious EU-funded project. As DigAccessAgrotourism enters its second year, this issue captures the energy and purpose behind our mission: to support rural tourism enterprises in becoming more <strong>digitally equipped, socially inclusive, and accessible to all<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll find inside:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> In conversation with Roberta Trovarelli (Legacoop Emilia-Romagna)<\/strong><br \/>\nIn this issue\u2019s featured interview, we meet <strong>Roberta Trovarelli<\/strong>, a leading voice in cooperative development and international projects at Legacoop Emilia-Romagna. Roberta shares her perspective on the role of <strong>social economy organisations in rural tourism<\/strong>, emphasising the need for strategic innovation that combines digital tools with values like inclusion and community empowerment. Her insights offer a valuable look into how Italy, and Emilia-Romagna in particular, is building resilient, accessible tourism ecosystems that serve both people and places. Her message is clear: accessibility is not a cost, but a long-term investment in sustainability, competitiveness, and social justice.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><strong>The launch of the DigAccessAgrotourism Framework<\/strong><br \/>\nOne of the project\u2019s most significant milestones so far has been the <strong>publication of the Framework for Digital Transition and Accessibility in Agrotourism<\/strong>. Developed through months of field research across <strong>Poland, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Portugal<\/strong>, the Framework identifies the <strong>common challenges and opportunities<\/strong> facing rural SMEs and Enabling Organisations (EOs). It provides a detailed assessment of digital and accessibility gaps, while also presenting <strong>good practices, toolkits, and strategic pathways<\/strong> for transformation. Whether it\u2019s introducing inclusive digital content, improving physical access, or rethinking business models, the Framework serves as a comprehensive starting point for digital upskilling and inclusive innovation.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><strong> Digital tools revolutionising accessibility in agrotourism<\/strong><br \/>\nThe newsletter also includes an article exploring how <strong>digital technologies are transforming access to rural tourism<\/strong>. It highlights real-world tools and approaches: such as <strong>virtual reality (VR) tours<\/strong>, <strong>accessible website design<\/strong>, <strong>automated captioning<\/strong>, and <strong>AI-powered communication platforms<\/strong>. These tools are already making a difference for visitors with disabilities. These tools are not just technical fixes; they represent a broader shift in how rural tourism businesses can <strong>connect with diverse audiences<\/strong>, provide clear and welcoming information, and differentiate themselves in a competitive market. The message is simple but powerful: <strong>accessibility benefits everyone<\/strong>, and digital innovation is the key to unlocking it.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><strong> Open Call: International Capacity Building for Enabling Organisations<\/strong><br \/>\nFinally, this issue launches the first <strong>Open Call for Enabling Organisations <\/strong>to apply for participation in the <strong>transnational capacity building training<\/strong> to be held in <strong>Bologna, Italy<\/strong>, in January 2026. Selected organisations will join a <strong>3-day workshop<\/strong> focused on digital solutions for accessibility, and will become part of a <strong>transnational team of Digital Mentors for Accessibility<\/strong>. These mentors will later support rural tourism SMEs in designing and implementing <strong>Individual Digital Development Plans (IDDPs)<\/strong>. Financial support of up to <strong>\u20ac1,163<\/strong> is available per organisation for travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs. The call is open to cooperatives, associations, foundations, mutual benefit societies, and other social economy actors working in the field of rural and agrotourism.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why this newsletter matters<\/strong><br \/>\nThe DigAccessAgrotourism newsletter is more than a project update; it\u2019s a platform for shared learning, collaboration, and action. Whether you\u2019re a practitioner, policymaker, researcher, or community stakeholder, this issue invites you to <strong>get involved<\/strong>, <strong>stay informed<\/strong>, and <strong>amplify the call for inclusive, digitally enabled tourism<\/strong> in rural Europe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read the full newsletter (in English) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DAA_NL2_EN-desk.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Access the Open Call <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digaccess-agrotourism.eu\/en\/blog\/e1xM-38pTtePjShlyI5u_Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are excited to share the second issue of the DigAccessAgrotourism newsletter, a key communication channel for tracking the progress, milestones, and stories emerging from this ambitious EU-funded project. As DigAccessAgrotourism enters its second year, this issue captures the energy and purpose behind our mission: to support rural tourism enterprises in becoming more digitally equipped, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":13429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13428"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13441,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13428\/revisions\/13441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurosc.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}