ESCape DEPopulation and foster cultural heritage
through active tourism

Erasmus Plus - Cooperation partnerships in youth

2021 - 1 - ES02- YOU - 000028605

NEED / PROBLEM

The rural exodus has been triggered in Europe since the early decades of the second half of the twentieth century. Many people, especially the younger members of society, continue to migrate to the cities looking for job opportunities, better facilities, and higher wages than in the countryside. Over the years, the exodus to the vibrant urban centers together with the negative natural growth has led to an unstoppable dynamic of population decline in many EU territories, which in addition generate substantial gaps between regions of the same country. As a result, Europe must face today the scenario of demographic deserts threatening throughout the ‘old continent’. The European Commission report on poverty in rural areas identified the exodus and aging problem, the remoteness, the lack of education facilities and the labor market issues (such a lower employment rates and seasonal work) as the four main factors to determine the risk of poverty and social exclusion. It is not a coincidence that these deficiencies are features of sparsely populated and underpopulated regions.

OBJECTIVES

The main idea of the project is to create escape rooms to promote the cultural heritage, promote active tourism and the local economy in order to avoid depopulation, by empowering young people to take initiative and to promote their own community and its history and local culture.

Create escape rooms as instruments to develop active tourism and to promote local history.
Empower youth to express their ideas, develop actions and create added value in their city/town/village in such a way to promote tourist and enhance the cultural heritage.
Develop youth entrepreneurial skills & competencies in order to increase their employability opportunities.
Provide skills & competencies to youth workers such as critical thinking, problem thinking, time management in order to increase their employability opportunities etc.

WORKING PLAN

The project lasts for 24 months. From December 2021 to November 2023.

PARTNERSHIP

RESULTS

Set of Escape Rooms

Set of escape rooms to foster cultural heritage - "Escape inside your village".

The 1st project result will be implemented in the villages of the partners (inside a historical monument – e.g.: The Castle of Medina del Campo), with scenaries based on the local history, fostering the cultural heritage with the purpose to increase the youth initiative and their employability opportunities, by developing their skills and competences and in the same time fostering youth active tourism, as a new sector of escape rooms is raising in the top preferences of leisure activities of young people, but also as group and family activity.

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Set de Escape Rooms

ESP

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Set de Escape Rooms

ING

Methodological and structural GUIDE of cultural escape rooms.

The 2nd result will provide the knowledge and the know-how of creating cultural escape rooms.

In the same time, this project has also the purpose to tackle the issue of depopulation that most of the European villages face, Castille and Leon region being part of the ones that most face this issue. We want to offer both free time activities alternatives to young people, but also the possibilities to implement their own ideas to promote their village and to ensure a future in terms of employability opportunities that may arise from the development of the sector of active touristic activities.