Polycentric Sustainable Tourism Strategy

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Better tourism,
not more tourism

From tourism in one place.
Tourism among places

6 strategic axes
5 permeability dimensions

Built and tested with pilot territories

 A new tourism model for the Atlantic Area—designed to rebalance visitor flows, reduce pressure on hotspots, and unlock the potential of inland and rural territories.


Key messages

  • A strategy for territorial balance: Overtourism and undertourism are two sides of the same challenge. The POST strategy addresses both—reducing pressure where tourism is saturated and creating opportunities where tourism potential is underused.
  • Collaboration instead of competition: Destinations function as a network—interconnected nodes offering complementary experiences, sharing value more evenly across the territory.
  • Better tourism, not more tourism: The goal is sustainability, inclusion and fairness—protecting heritage and ensuring benefits are shared equitably.
  • Permeability makes the model real: Connectivity across territories—physical, digital, sociocultural, institutional and communicational—turns strategy into implementation.
  • Signature Tourism (Author Tourism) adds authenticity: Unique, crafted experiences rooted in local identity and community co-creation enrich the polycentric model and help tackle seasonality and overcrowding.


Why a new model is needed

Tourism is a driver of growth and cohesion in the Atlantic Area, but the current model creates imbalances: cities such as Porto, Dublin or Santiago de Compostela face pressure, while many rural and inland areas remain overlooked despite strong cultural, natural and gastronomic assets.

To ensure long-term resilience, tourism must balance demand with destinations’ capacity to host visitors sustainably.



What is Polycentric Sustainable Tourism?
Polycentric tourism is an innovative approach that seeks to increase regional appeal and promote sustainability by fostering connections between multiple micro-destinations within a region. This model moves away from the traditional focus on a single main destination and instead emphasizes networking among several destinations. Thus, the model acts as a mechanism to redistribute tourist flows, relieving pressure on the most visited areas while simultaneously strengthening destinations with growth potential.

Polycentric tourism shifts the paradigm from tourism in one place to tourism among places.


Signature Tourism (Author Tourism)
Signature Tourism refers to unique, almost artisan-designed travel experiences, each with the distinctive “signature” of its creator—authentic, sustainable and personalised. It places community and local identity at the centre, turning residents into co-creators rather than bystanders.


How the strategy works: 6 Strategic Axes
The POST model is structured around six strategic axes that territories can adapt and prioritise according to their needs:

  • Axis 1 – Strengthening the Tourism Offer: diversify and improve products, create new points of interest and distribute flows year-round.
  • Axis 2 – Improving Infrastructure & Mobility: better transport links, green infrastructure and soft mobility to connect inland and coastal areas.
  • Axis 3 – Digital Transformation: data, platforms and storytelling tools to increase visibility, manage flows and support local providers.
  • Axis 4 – Cooperation & Partnerships: cross-regional and cross-border cooperation, joint branding and governance models.
  • Axis 5 – Adapting to Trends & Challenges: respond to demand for authenticity, wellbeing and slower travel; extend the season and reduce pressure.
  • Axis 6 – Managing Global Threats: resilience tools for climate risks, demographic change and disruptions.


Permeability: the enabling principle

Permeability is the policy instrument that strengthens connectivity, cooperation and cohesion—so destinations can operate as an integrated tourism network.

Five dimensions (use as icons + short definitions):

  • Territorial permeability: mobility, signage, shared infrastructure and soft mobility.
  • Digital permeability: joint platforms, apps, open data, digital guides and smart visitor tools.
  • Sociocultural permeability: community involvement, training and co-creation of authentic experiences.
  • Institutional permeability: aligned governance, cross-border collaboration and shared planning instruments.
  • Communicational permeability: shared storytelling, joint campaigns and coordinated communication (also crucial in crises).

Four practical “Atlantic” measures (implementation bundles):

  • Atlantic Territorial Network & Accessibility
  • Atlantic Thematic Routes
  • Atlantic Joint Digital Marketing Campaigns
  • Atlantic Tourism Training


Who is it for?
The strategy is designed as a shared effort involving public authorities, businesses, civil society and communities.

Key stakeholders:

  • Local and regional governments

  • Residents and local communities

  • Tourism SMEs and entrepreneurs

  • Tourism boards and consortia

  • NGOs, cultural and heritage organisations

  • Academia and training providers

  • Tourists (as allies through responsible choices)


Expected benefits (impact section)

  • Territorial: reduced pressure on hotspots, rural revitalisation, better distribution of economic benefits and stronger cohesion.

  • Community: improved quality of life, job creation, empowerment of communities as co-creators and preservation of identity.

  • Environmental: lower footprint through sustainable mobility, better resource and heritage protection, stronger resilience.


 
Pilot territories
Tested and refined with pilot territories including: Ourense (inland Galicia, Spain), Northern Portugal, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown (Dublin region, Ireland) and West Charente – Pays du Cognac (France).

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