Creative and cultural tourism is increasingly seen as a powerful driver for regional development, particularly in rural and less-visited areas. This perspective was at the centre of a recent episode of the Iránytű podcast on RTV 365 Slovenia, which featured Professor Ágnes Raffay-Dányi discussing international cooperation in creative tourism and the work of the CROCUS project.

During the interview, Professor Raffay-Dányi reflected on how cross-border collaboration enables regions to share knowledge, test innovative approaches, and co-create tourism solutions deeply rooted in local culture. She highlighted how partners from different European countries are collaborating within CROCUS to design and implement living labs, where new tools and methods for creative tourism are developed and tested in real-world settings.

A strong emphasis of the discussion was the role of local communities. The CROCUS project places residents, artists and cultural practitioners at the heart of tourism development, ensuring that creative tourism experiences are not imposed from outside but emerge from local identity, traditions and skills. This approach helps generate tourism models that are more sustainable, inclusive and resilient, while also offering visitors authentic and meaningful experiences.

The podcast highlights how creative tourism can unlock economic and social potential in peripheral regions by diversifying offerings, reducing dependence on mass tourism, and strengthening local cultural ecosystems. Through experimentation, exchange and learning, CROCUS demonstrates how European cooperation can translate policy goals into practical, community-based action on the ground.

By giving space to expert voices shaping the future of creative tourism, Iránytű contributes to a broader European conversation on how culture, creativity and collaboration can support sustainable tourism development. The episode is available for Hungarian-speaking audiences and adds another layer of visibility to the work being carried out within the CROCUS project.

Listen to the podcast here:
https://lnkd.in/eYJr_QBx

Learn more about the project:
https://crocuseurope.eu/

#Cultural And Experiential Tourism #Creative Tourism #Sustainable Tourism #Responsible Travel #Community Based Tourism #Sustainable Destinations