Desarrollo rural y turismo en Castilla y León : éxitos y fracasos

This study stems from the growing scholarly and social concern about the problems of changing rural areas of Europe from the 1980s onward. In this context, the EU member states have been called to participate in a Communitarian Initiative for rural development. This initiative, known as LEADER (Liaisons Entre Activités de Développment de L´Economie Rural) aims at the participation of the local population and a focus on social learning. At the same time, the Spanish government is faced with increasing demand rural development initiatives. As a result, the PRODER programme has been launched, financed by structural EU funds and managed by the state and the Autonomous Communities. Against this background the PhD thesis is centred on programmes of rural development in Castilla y León implemented under the auspices of respectively LEADER (1991-2006) and PRODER (1996-2006). The research problem focusses on the question to what extent these programmes have contributed to the development of tourism and the reduction of demographic decline in rural areas. A threefold analysis has been carried out. First, the rural development programmes brought forward by the European Union is scrutinised. Secondly, the rural tourism offer linked to the development programmes is studied. In the third place, rural tourism is evaluated in relation with regional development. The results of the study reveal the success of the “LEADER method” and change to the development paradigm of rural tourism in Castilla y León, though they have not curbed the demographic decline of the rural environment.