The session moved beyond dialogue into active co-creation, with stakeholders across diverse sectors addressing a vital question: “What is needed to build an impactful Rural Living Lab in Egypt?”
The insights gathered highlighted the essential pillars for our upcoming roadmap:
- Field Research & Stakeholder Engagement: Listening to owners of local startups and SMEs, researching the rural tourism sector for data collection, and gathering on-ground insights for informed decision making.
- Digital Infrastructure: Equipping rural areas with the technology needed to thrive in a global market.
- Capacity Building: Providing tailored training to empower entrepreneurs with innovation and management skills.
A Sustainable and Connected Rural Tourism Ecosystem
The Living Lab approach is central to the project’s methodology, allowing ideas to be tested, refined, and scaled within real-life environments. This hands-on model ensures that innovation is grounded in local realities while benefiting from international knowledge exchange.
Through the activation of Egypt’s Rural Living Lab, the initiative is laying the foundation for a more connected, resilient, and inclusive rural tourism sector, one that not only enhances visitor experiences but also empowers local communities and supports sustainable development across the country.