Between 1 and 2 July 2025, TOURAL project was showcased during a peer-review event, organized in Perugia (Italy) by two European entities , EUI and JRC, with the theme,Linking the urban and the rural.
This peer review was a two-day workshop designed for local authorities responsible for drafting and/or implementing integrated territorial development strategies – supported by EU Cohesion Policy- in both urban and non-urban areas (rural and remote areas). It addressed specific issues such as governance, funding and stakeholder involvement, all under the overarching theme of urban–rural linkages.
Association LAG Danube Delta had the occasion of presenting TOURAL project, the consortium and the scope of the project, by bridging 6 pilot-sites around Europe. The representative of LAG DD, Mrs. Roxana Iacob – project expert, peer-reviewer for two strategies out of the four under review (Wipptal – Austria and Vinkovci – Croatia) in this event, offered to the participants of the working-groups information regarding the importance of the project for the rural area of Danube Delta, in terms of empowering the local stakeholders (communities, public authorities, tourism entrepreneurs, cultural institutions, research institutions, NGOs, civil society, etc.) through different instruments created by the project’s consortium, with the aim to re-assess the needs and the strategy towards a sustainable development of the tourism.
The participants of the two working-groups appreciated the project as a coherent modelling approach which, through its multidimensional assessments, will offer, at its end, a model towards supporting the touristic development of the rural regions participating in the project.
The TOURAL project’s presence at the event in Perugia highlighted its relevance and potential impact in bridging urban–rural dynamics. The feedback received confirms the project’s role in shaping inclusive, strategic approaches that align with EU Cohesion Policy goals.
