Epic Stays Mini kynningarviðburður

Women’s Empowerment & Sustainable Rural Tourism

On 5 December, an Epic Stays Mini kynningarviðburður was held at the Urban Center of Lucera, hosted at the headquarters of Meridaunia. The event took place in conjunction with the press conference of the INCLUDONIA project and brought together a wide range of regional stakeholders, including vocational education and training (VET) providers, journalists, representatives of local institutions, the Pro Loco of Lucera, and academics from the University of Foggia.

Women’s Entrepreneurship as a Driver for Rural Tourism

The theme of female entrepreneurship in the tourism sector opened the debate, underlining the importance of creating opportunities for women, particularly in rural areas.

Within this context, Epic dvöl was presented as a practical response to these challenges. The project aims to equip women with innovative resources to develop sustainable, place-based, and alternative hospitality businesses, positioning them as active agents of change in rural tourism economies.

Presentation of Key Epic Stays Results

During the event, partners presented the first key project results, finalised and agreed during the transnational partner meeting in Iceland. These included:

• Rannsóknarskýrsla um Epic Stays
• Epic Stays EU Compendium of Good Practice in Alternative Tourism Accommodation

The Compendium, in particular, was introduced as a cornerstone resource for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs in the alternative accommodation sector.

Business Education & Experiential Learning

From a business education perspective, the Samantekt á Epic Stays was highlighted as a highly practical learning tool. It provides guidelines on how to develop sustainable business plans, identify niche markets, create authentic experiences for tourists and adopt innovative management practices. The concrete examples illustrated in the compendium offer an experiential learning tool, enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to acquire practical skills and develop scalable and replicable business models.

Impact on the Monti Dauni & Local Development

The presentation of these resources highlighted the possibilities offered by alternative tourism, opening up new horizons for both entrepreneurship and local development. In particular, the Epic Stays project and its resources represent a strategic opportunity to further strengthen the tourism offer in the Monti Dauni in an alternative and sustainable way. These tools can direct market trends towards more environmentally friendly tourism models, enhancing local excellence and creating a more resilient and innovative economic ecosystem. The event created a constructive dialogue on the economic and social potential of the sector, highlighting the importance of sustainable and inclusive business models for the future of Europe’s rural communities.

Next Steps & Local Integration

In the coming months, Meridaunia will integrate the resources offered by Epic Stays into its community support activities, including those related to the INCLUDONIA project, further expanding opportunities to promote alternative and sustainable tourism in the Monti Dauni.

Written by
Angela Maria Loporchio
Visit Monti Dauni
http://www.visitmontidauni.it/