Heritage is a very complex concept that is characterized by having multiple meanings. Despite this, there is no doubt as to its attraction for carrying out tourist activities. In the specific case of cultural heritage, there is widespread agreement in considering it as a tourist resource given the interest it raises amongst visitors of all origins. This is not, however, always the case and it can be observed that in certain areas, especially rural ones, certain limitations exist. They are caused by multiple factors such as the importance of the resource itself, although the distance to the main centers of tourist attraction is also considered a key point. Due to this, the study puts forward the need for joining forces and attractions in order to create tourist itineraries based on a peculiar kind of resource: Historical Ensembles. In order to achieve this aim, we used the network analysis tools included in a geographical information system and applied it to a rural context, which was that of Extremadura in Spain. To be precise, the closest facility and service area tools were used. The results of the various analyses reflect the real possibility of generating tourist itineraries as a first step in the design of tourist products. In this way, the administration can be provided with a management tool capable of laying the foundations of a coherent and efficient tourist policy.

In 2020, a special issue titled “Sustainable Rural Development: Strategies, Good Practices and Opportunities” was launched, in which 16 papers were published

There are multiple types of regression, the essential task of which is the obtaining of models which, starting from a set of regressive values, are capable of finding explanations for the variability of a dependent. However, in many cases, the territorial criterion is not considered to be a noteworthy factor of analysis, owing to which this deficiency has encouraged the arising of spatial statistics. Nevertheless, given the variety of regressions, it is not clear which can best be adapted to the analysis of tourism. In this sector, when the supply of accommodation is analysed, it is understood that it must be strongly related to the presence of resources, owing to which it has been taken as an example of an application between two differentiated regression techniques: ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR), with the objective of determining which of the two is best adapted to this type of analysis. The model has been drawn up based on various methods, although it has been shown that it is more efficient to resort to the declared preferences of the rural tourist, with the starting point being a survey made of the tourists. These aspects have been taken as independent variables with the aim of explaining the distribution of accommodation establishments. The results obtained show that the configuration of the spatial relations between the variable included in the model encourages the explanation of the latter, owing to which GWR is much more suitable than OLS, even when a system as complex as the distribution of accommodation establishments is analysed. Likewise, it is noteworthy that the distribution of accommodation does not also follow the guidelines marked by demand; far from it, it appears that in some areas, it is of a random nature.

The serious socioeconomic problems faced by rural environments in general, and the agricultural sector in particular, in peripheral European territories since the end of the last century have led to depopulation phenomena, the abandonment of unique traditional uses, and the loss of cultural identity. The promotion of a well-understood agrotourism sector in these territories, as an income-diversifying activity that promotes a more sustainable tourism, is a measure widely applauded by the scientific community, which seeks to curb such problems and offer an opportunity to the inhabitants who are less and less dedicated to the much maltreated primary sector. However, it is crucial to know in a personalized way the value chain associated with agrotourism and in particular that linked to the Extremadura dehesa, especially when this has not traditionally been considered a tourist resource. This paper presents a recent bibliographical review regarding the potential of the Extremadura dehesa as a viable agrotourism resource. The lack of knowledge that the tourist offer has about agrotourism and the dehesa as a business niche and diversification of income, or the gap between some activities and the appropriate channels of the value chain, are some remarkable conclusions, coinciding with those of other authors and similar territories.

The process of population concentration in cities is a worldwide phenomenon—not yet finished—which has led to a widespread rural exodus and abandonment of rural areas. In Spain it occurred very abruptly from 1960, leaving numerous population centers abandoned in the northern half of the country. It is the so-called “empty Spain”. This problem has recently transcended from the local to the European level and has become part of all political agendas such as “the fight against the demographic challenge”, which the European Commission will finance in the next programming period 2021–2027. However, retaining the population in rural areas is a very complex problem that is difficult to solve. The aim of this article is to show that a polycentric system of towns, well distributed throughout the territory—as happens in Extremadura—has sufficient capacity to stabilize the population in the rural environment and is a viable and global alternative to the demographic challenge through the rururban partnerships and the integrated territorial investments. This article studies, as an empirical reality and demonstration effect, the autonomous community of Extremadura, an inland region bordering Portugal, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, which has no abandoned nucleus and still maintains 50% of its population in rural areas, compared to a national average of less than 20%.

This research focused on determining the impact of social capital on economic growth in South American countries based on data associated with the prosperity index generated by the Legatum Institute from 2007 to 2023. The relationship was analysed by estimating both static and dynamic panel data models, considering aggregate social capital and its components. The results indicate that while the prosperity index at the aggregate level has a positive and significant effect on GDP per capita, this is not the case for all dimensions. In the static approach, all the components of the economic and people empowerment dimensions are significant, while in the institutional component, social capital was not statistically significant, which is corroborated by the dynamic results. While the disaggregation of social capital reveals some elements that have a positive effect on economic performance, such as personal and family relationships and personal trust, civic participation shows an inverse relationship with GDP per capita. These findings confirm the existence of strong bonding personal and family relationships that influence territorial performance yet require the strengthening of bridging and linking ties.