Api-tourism as a Regenerative Tourism Modality against Rural Depopulation in Spain

Abstract

The study presents api-tourism as an opportunity to promote rural development within the new paradigm of regenerative tourism by promoting sustainable and reparative values and practices. It shows how api-tourism can influence on the preservation of biodiversity, employment, and population in areas of very low population density, such as the Serranías de Interior in Spain. A region that covers a vast area of 65,489 km² that is highly depopulated, representing 13 % of the country's territory. The text uses the methodological triangulation approach, which involves a bibliographic and bibliometric review of the neologism "api-tourism" and related tourism modalities. The research also analyses the related econometric variables through case studies, in-depth interviews, and participant observation of agritourism operations dedicated to api-tourism. This approach leads to the characterization of a novel regenerative tourism model that strengthens ecosystems’ health and contributes to the retention of rural populations. This model is proposed for its greater resilience against climate change, from a social, human geography, and ecological perspective.