With some of the highest peaks of the Spanish Pyrenees mountains, the Aragonese Pyrenees are home to incredible old towns and villages. There, Aragonese of long standing, Gisela Solé and her family run a travel agency Mundo Ara Travel.
Gisela has developed an inspirational tour with the intention of both honouring and rescuing the memory of the women who forged the past and to connect with the women of the present.
Passion for the rural world inspired her. She wanted to share what she had learned from those who, with courage and determination, are developing entrepreneurial projects that not only revitalise their communities but serve as a source of inspiration for others.
Here Gisela recounts the journey to launching this pioneering project and how it benefits the women who take part.
Creating Huellas: Encounters with Female Entrepreneurs in the Aragonese Pyrenees
In 2023, I launched Huellas: Encounters with Female Entrepreneurs in the Aragonese Pyrenees. The intention was to offer a travel experience in which women play a leading role, and their projects benefit from tourism.
To create the journey, I spent the summer of 2023 meeting with women entrepreneurs in the Pyrenees. I was able to get to know their projects and could invite them to participate in the tour. It developed easily, and after each meeting with an entrepreneur, I had five more recommendations of women who could be suitable to join the experience.
Because of this, I decided that each tour would have different collaborators so I could offer the opportunity to all the women who wanted to participate.
The tour isn’t meant as a one-time experience; someone could repeat the same trip, and it would be different each time.
Redefining Tourism Towards the Benefit of Women
Making a living and developing a career in the Aragonese countryside is challenging for both men and women due to limited financial support and rural depopulation. However, the rural sector is predominantly male dominated, which creates additional barriers for women, who represent 31% of entrepreneurs in Aragon’s countryside.
Huellas: Encounters with Women Entrepreneurs in the Aragonese Pyrenees is the first regional initiative focused on collaborating with women entrepreneurs to address these challenges. It was also awarded the Best Travel Experience of 2023 by the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain.
The goal is to increase visibility and contribute to the viability of women’s projects, support sustainability through community-focused and environmentally friendly tourism, and address local issues such as depopulation.
It also seeks to reshape the traditional tourism narrative by presenting the history of the Aragonese region from a woman’s perspective including highlighting many notable female figures.
The project exemplifies what tourism can do to support women: It actually puts tourism at the service of entrepreneurial women, and it also raises awareness of their journeys and challenges.
Meeting the Producers: Inspiring Examples of Rural Female Entrepreneurs
The three-day excursion offers participants the opportunity to explore the success stories of women entrepreneurs in rural Aragon such as shepherdesses, beekeepers, cooks, cheesemakers, natural soap producers. While enjoying the tranquility of the Pyrenees by staying in a rural house run by a female entrepreneur.
Visitors immerse themselves in the daily routines of the entrepreneurs, engage in conversation over meals and taste their products or enjoy the experiences they offer.
Sara combines traditional sustainable farming with modern methods. Azpe, a beekeeper and former biologist from Madrid, returned to her village in the Pyrenees to continue her parents’ repopulation project. Francys founded a sustainable cosmetics brand. Mayte runs the region’s first vegetarian restaurant focusing on sustainable and locally sourced dishes. Eva guides visitors through Aragon’s version of history filled with remarkable women.
Three female entrepreneurs take part in each trip. Sara, Azpe, Francys, Mayte and Eva were the protagonists of the first editions of our trips in 2024.
However, we hope to create new, exciting visits with many other entrepreneurs in the next editions, so we offer alternative travel itineraries for future participants.
These entrepreneurs set a price for their activity and receive visitors who are potential buyers of their products.
Based on Stroma Cole’s definition of empowerment in tourism described as “the process of agency, autonomy, and authority”, we consider the women we visited on our 2024 trips as empowered women whose lives and choices can inspire travellers in their own personal growth and development.
Urban Meeting Rural: Breaking Down Stereotypes
“Travel prevents us from feeling the presence of those we have travelled such great distances to be near.” (In the case against travel, Callard, 2023)
Even short-distance travel can highlight the vast differences between rural and urban cultures, often leading to stereotypes. However, genuine exchanges can bridge these distances.
Throughout the journey, visitors learn about the rural world, realising its connection to urban life, while rural entrepreneurs appreciate their interest.
So, this trip allows travellers to connect with local women and dissipate stereotypes.
A Trip Shaped by Local Actors
When we launched the project, we assumed that it would be easy to convince women to participate. But this was not always the case. I thought they would all like to participate and in reality, some were quite reluctant to open their homes and others were afraid that it would become a touristy thing that would break their peace.
Some women, working alongside men, wanted to emphasise that their contributions were equally valuable. Others prioritised their peace of mind and preferred to participate occasionally, avoiding media exposure. Some refused to participate to maintain their isolation.
We ended up working with the women who wanted to participate, and we accepted their conditions. What changed were my expectations.
It was a reminder of the importance of involving local entrepreneurs in the development of such projects, making sure that we collaborate with them rather than imposing our vision of what they may need.
But for all those participating, it’s a very special experience.
Feeling inspired by Gisela’s dedication to championing gender equality? If you would like advice on creating a tourism experience that empowers local women, we can help you develop your ideas. Get in touch.
