June 19, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked trusted source proofread by Ali Jones, Horizon: The EU Research & Innovation Magazine European tourism is getting a makeover to strengthen remote communities with the help of EU-funded researchers. The monastery of San Estevo de Ribas de Sil in northwestern Spain is located within 20 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, but for Martín López Nores the two places felt worlds apart.
And that gave him an idea. In 2019 López Nores, a professor in the Department of Telematics Engineering of the University of Vigo in Spain, attended an event at the 800-year-old monastery with researchers and local representatives. The participants discussed how best to revitalize rural economies.
While the Camino de Santiago has long been a popular pilgrim route to the holy site where St James the Apostle is believed to be buried, the monastery—deemed one of the most spectacular heritage spots in the Galicia region of Spain—was often overlooked by tourists. "We were meeting in a jewel of a location—a remarkable place that goes unnoticed by thousands of pilgrims walking nearby," said López Nores. "We realized we needed to make it more visible, to draw people to it, to encourage people on the pilgrim route to get to know the area they are passing through, not just fo.