Community-based tourism and sustainable and inclusive development: the Maceira–Village ambassadors project
Abstract
The Maceira - Village Ambassadors project aimed to promote sustainable development, preserving the environment and cultural heritage while fostering tourism through accessible and inclusive experiences. It integrates the tourism offer with the historical and cultural reality of the village, using technology to communicate and promote the project. Three main activities were developed: Village Ambassadors, Inclusive Trails, and Digital Maceira.
Implemented between September 2020 and June 2023 in Maceira (Fornos de Algodres), the project followed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data from literature review, surveys, and interviews.
A total of 27 families (44 individuals) directly participated in the project’s activities, covering different age groups and reinforcing community involvement. The activities achieved an implementation rate of over 95%, engaging 27 service providers and 5 social investors. The results highlighted a high level of satisfaction among participants and a strengthening of the sense of local identity. The project preserved and promoted local heritage, encouraged community-based tourism, and enhanced digital engagement.
The main challenge was the COVID-19 pandemic, which required adaptability and creative solutions. Low population density was also a limitation. Despite these challenges, the project laid a solid foundation for future sustainable tourism initiatives. The active participation of local resident-ambassadors was crucial in increasing community pride and self-esteem. Digital promotion expanded the project’s reach, reinforcing cultural identity and making Maceira’s heritage more widely known.
References
Altaba, P., & García-Esparza, J. A. (2021). A Practical Vision of Heritage Tourism in Low-Population-Density Areas. The Spanish Mediterranean as a Case Study. Sustainability, 13(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095144
del Pulgar, M., Sánchez, M. L., Gilabert, C. V., Antonio-García, M. Á., Sánchez-Salazar, F., & Cabrera, A. T. (2024). A Territorial Strategy for the Activation of Tourism in Low Population Density Heritage Landscapes. Land, 13(5). 1-17.
Domingos, S. (2011). Dos modelos de desenvolvimento local aos projectos de animação cultural : conceitos, dimensões e desafios. I Jornadas de Animação Cultural: Que Desafios.
European Comission - Culture and Creativity. (2019). Sustainable Cultural Tourism. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/164ea9c5-2255-11ea-af81-01aa75ed71a1
Heredia-Carroza, J., Fernández, I. M., & Palma, L. (2023). Cultural Heritage and Its Impact on Territorial Development: The Case of Spain. Em Gomez, H., & Antošová, G. (Eds.), Considerations of Territorial Planning, Space, and Economic Activity in the Global Economy. IGI Global Scientific Publishing, pp. 116-125.
Hernández, S. M. A, Vaca, D. M. G., Cejas, M. C. N., Martínez, M. F. C., Aguirre, P. E. M., & Mora, O. P. F. (2021). Quality and Tourism Supply: A Study of Enterprises Linked to Rural Community-Based Tourism in the Canton of Riobamba. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 10(4), 130-140.
INE. (2025). https://censos.ine.pt/.
Jaramillo, C. A. A., Arciniegas, C. M. A., Sánchez, E. O. P., & Janne, P. C. (2020). Innovación social como estrategia para fortalecer el turismo rural comunitario en Colombia. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, 25(89), 92-104.
JFMaceira. (2025). https://www.jf-maceira.pt/.
Lane, B., & Kastenholz, E. (2015). Rural tourism: the evolution of practice and research approaches - towards a new generation concept? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23(8-9), 1133-1156.
Marques, A. (2010). Da Construção do Espaço à Construção do Território. Fluxos & Riscos, 1, 75-88.
Marques, M. P. (2001). Terras de Algodres (Concelho de Fornos). Câmara Municipal de Algodres.
Martínez, M. F. C., Hernández, S. M. A., Báez, L. A. Q., Bedón, M. F. Q., & Velazco, D. J. M. (2020). The Competencies of Human Talent Linked to the Development of Community Based Rural Tourism in the Province of Chimborazo Ecuador. Journal of Environmental Management & Tourism, 11(6), 1400-1406.
Muñoz, E., & Llanos, L. (2021). Destinos turísticos patrimoniales y la museificación del territorio. Estudio comparativo entre Santa Fe de Antioquia (Colombia) y San Cristóbal de Las Casas (México). EURE (Santiago), 47, 49-70.
Nogué, J. (2010). El retorno al paisaje. Enrahonar: An International Journal of Theoretical and Practical Reason, 45, 123-136.
Pröbstl, U. (2010). Strategies For Tourism Development In Peripheral Areas In The Alpine Area. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 139, 3-11.
Roque, V., & Raposo, R. (2016). Social media as a communication and marketing tool in tourism: an analysis of online activities from international key player DMO. Anatolia, 27(1), 58-70.
Roque, V., Guerra, R., Lopes, A., Rodrigues, C., Ramos, E., & Oliveira, A. (2024). Social Networks and the Engagement of the Resident Community in the Promotion of Tourism: the case of Maceira Digital. Em Proceedings of the INVTUR Conference 2024, Malta, A. M., Costa, C., Brandão, F., Cunha, M., Martins, M., Rodrigues, V., & Breda, Z. (Eds.), Aveiro, Universidade de Aveiro, pp. 1113-1137.
Sánchez, M. L., del Pulgar, M. L. G., & Cabrera, A. T. (2022). Perspectives on proximity tourism planning in peri-urban areas. European Planning Studies, 30(12), 2456-2473.
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling, Data Collection, and Analysis Techniques in Mixed-Method Studies. Research in Nursing & Health, 23(3), 246-255.
Toribio, J. M. F. (2015). El patrimonio territorial: algunas aportaciones para su entendimiento y puesta en valor. Erph_ Revista Electrónica De Patrimonio Histórico, 200–224.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
1.The works published in this magazine are subject to the following terms: Tourism Research Association (the publisher) preserves the patrimonial rights (copyright) of the published works, and favors and allows the reuse of them under the license of use indicated in point 2.
© Investur, 2017
2.The works are published in the electronic edition of the magazine under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivative 3.0 Spain (legal text) license. They can be copied, used, disseminated, transmitted and publicly displayed, provided that: i) the authorship and the original source of their publication (journal, editorial and URL of the work) are cited; ii) are not used for commercial purposes; iii) the existence and specifications of this license are mentioned.
3. Self-file conditions. Authors are allowed and encouraged to disseminate electronically the pre-print versions (version before being evaluated) and / or post-print (version evaluated and accepted for publication) of their works before publication, since it favors their circulation and earlier dissemination and with it a possible increase in its citation and scope among the academic community.
