Regada Eco-Experiences
PROJECT ID
SME Name:
Quinta da Regada
Country:
Portugal
Subsector:
Nature / rural tourism
*Thematic Axis and Specific Topic:
*These are Cross-Re-Tour-specific thematic axes inspired by the Transition Pathway for Tourism. The thematic axis were chosen based on what category best reflects the main contributions of the project.
PROJECT SUMMARY & NEEDS
Project summary
Regada Eco-Experiences is a rural eco-tourism project by Quinta da Regada, a 50-acre farm cottage in Portugal producing Queijo da Serra cheese, olive oil and honey. The project combines traditional food workshops with re-wilding activities, helping guests understand the link between biodiversity, circular resource use and sustainable local food. Supported by digital tools such as impact dashboards, time-lapse videos, online workshops and wildlife monitoring, the experience makes environmental contributions visible and engaging. The project aims to attract eco-conscious visitors and position Quinta da Regada as a benchmark for measurable, small-scale sustainable tourism.
Exploitation Area(s):
SME needs adressed:
OUTPUTS & OUTCOMES
Solution implemented
Quinta da Regada developed a set of experiential tourism activities, including honey extraction, olive harvesting and birdwatching, supported by new partnerships to strengthen future nature-based experiences.They created a biodiversity trail to guide visitors through areas of environmental interest and, together with URZE — the Serra da Estrela Slopes Forestry Association — and CERVAS — the Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Rehabilitation and Monitoring — implemented a biodiversity monitoring framework supported by two wildlife cameras. The data collected, together with biodiversity and sustainability metrics, is integrated into a preliminary dashboard to support visitor communication and impact tracking. In collaboration with the University of Aveiro, they also introduced soil monitoring. The impact of these activities was further supported by the creation of a website enabling direct bookings, alongside social media channels that strengthen visitor engagement and improve the communication of biodiversity and sustainability metrics.
Cross-Domain Innovation element
The cross-domain element lies in bringing methods from conservation science, environmental monitoring and digital engagement into rural tourism. Quinta da Regada uses wildlife cameras, soil monitoring and a sustainability dashboard not only to collect environmental data, but also to enrich the visitor experience, communicate biodiversity impacts and strengthen engagement with eco-conscious audiences.
Key ouputs:
Key outcomes (Quantitative)
Key outcomes (Qualitative)
Lesson learned & Best practices:
The project shows that small rural tourism businesses can strengthen their sustainability offer by combining authentic local experiences with conservation, scientific monitoring and digital communication. A key lesson is that biodiversity and sustainability should not be treated only as internal management practices, but can become part of the visitor experience and brand identity when communicated clearly. Partnerships with environmental and academic organisations were essential to add credibility, generate useful data and support future replication by other SMEs.