Rural communities in the Nordics have been among those that adapted to the COVID-19 crisis in a positive way - by harnessing society’s new-found interest in less populated areas as an opportunity for development of tourism and other rural developments.
EU rural revitalisation experts heard (during their second ENRD Thematic Group on this topic) about how Europe’s northern areas have received much more interest as places for tourists to visit, and about how to develop thriving sustainable rural areas over the coming decades. ‘The Rural Way’ episode of a Nordic Talks podcast series was highlighted for the Thematic Group members.
It explains how, when COVID-19 hit countries with lockdowns and foreign travel restrictions, rural areas in the Nordic region and elsewhere suddenly got overwhelmed with visitors who overpowered the infrastructure. At the same time, people became more open-minded about rural living, more aware of the potential mental and physical health benefits, as well as more sustainable lifestyles.
