The Wild Côa Network was established by the Rewilding Portugal team in 2021 to drive the development of nature-based enterprise in and around the Greater Côa Valley. A recent survey demonstrated the network’s beneficial impact to date, and offered insights into how this impact could be scaled up going forwards.
The network effect
Nature-based business networks are a growing feature of Rewilding Europe’s expanding portfolio of rewilding landscapes. The idea is to bring businesses together under a shared rewilding vision for the landscape, facilitating the creation of new tourism packages, helping to close gaps in tourism experiences, and creating new economic opportunities. They mean local communities can enjoy direct economic benefits from the recovery of wild nature, which in turn generates more support for rewilding.
The most fully developed example of a rewilding landscape-based business network is the Wild Côa Network, which was established in the Greater Côa Valley in Portugal in early 2021. It now has more than 50 members, who meet online once a month and in person once a year.
A wide-reaching survey
At the end of 2023, the Rewilding Portugal team conducted a comprehensive survey among Wild Côa Network members, to assess the beneficial impact of membership and the satisfaction level among members. The outcome of the survey will also help to guide the way the network is developed moving forwards.
Of the 43 members active in the network at the time the survey was conducted, 38 chose to participate, meaning the results are indicative of the membership as a whole. Nine municipalities from the Greater Côa Valley region are represented in the network, giving it a wide geographic distribution, with members involved in four business sectors: accommodation, tourism operators, restaurants and catering, and the manufacture of local products.
Beneficial impact
One of the primary aims of any nature-based business network is to foster collaboration between members, who can support each other, share expertise, and work together to develop more attractive, multi-experience offerings that bring in more revenue. It was therefore great to see over 80% of the Wild Côa Network members who took part in the survey confirm that membership had led to an increase in intra-member relationships and partnerships. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed answered that they had already worked with at least one other member from the network, and over a third had already received clients through other members.
The vast majority of members also agreed that Rewilding Portugal is playing a strong role in advancing the socio-economic development of the region and promoting the Greater Côa Valley as a nature-based tourism destination abroad. Most members also agreed that the Wild Côa Network has increased the flow of nature-based tourism to the region. When asked if membership of the network had led to an increase in turnover, more than 75% of members responded that it had, to varying extents.
The bigger picture
Members of the Wild Côa Network are already benefitting in many ways from the wider efforts of the Rewilding Portugal team, and from access to Rewilding Europe’s enterprise support tools. Several members have developed their business using loans provided by Rewilding Europe Capital, and several have benefited from Rewilding Portugal’s practical rewilding efforts within the Greater Côa Valley landscape. In 2022, for example, wildlife tour and photographic hide operator WildLife Portugal began offering a range of wildlife tours in Vale Carapito, a site where Rewilding Portugal has been carrying out rewilding measures since 2021. Casa de Villar Mayor, a guesthouse located close to Vale Carapito, has seen an increase in bookings since rewilding of the site began.
Rewilding Portugal’s rewilding centre opened in late 2021 in Vale de Madeira, close to another rewilding site. This has also helped to promote nature-positive tourism in the Greater Côa Valley. In 2023, Rewilding Portugal’s “rewilding weekends” kicked off – these three-day immersive rewilding experiences take advantage of the products and services offered by Wild Côa Network members, helping to directly boost revenue. And a range of events organised by the team, including an art festival and photo contest – have also helped to raise the profile of the area significantly, attract domestic and international visitors, and bring financial benefits to local businesses. Last but not least, Rewilding Portugal has helped to train up 16 new nature guides over the last four years – of whom five are now members of the Wild Côa Network – which also helps to enhance the appeal of the Greater Côa Valley as a nature-based tourism destination.
Onwards and upwards
Based on the results of the survey and suggestions for the future made by members, the Rewilding Portugal team will now take a range of steps to increase the beneficial impact of the Wild Côa Network. One of the biggest challenges many tourism-focused businesses in the Greater Côa Valley are facing is the limited number of nights people stay in the area.
“We not only need to attract more tourists, but also encourage them to stay longer, and to come throughout the year,” explains Fernando Teixeira, Rewilding Portugal’s Head of Communications and Enterprise, who oversaw the survey. “In conjunction with local municipalities, we want to enhance our branding and market the Greater Côa Valley as the number one nature-based tourism destination in Portugal, with the slogan: ‘The Wildest Side of Portugal’.”
The Rewilding Portugal team have already created multi-day, nature-based tourism packages for the Greater Côa Valley that are marketed through the Rewilding Portugal website. Launched in December, these involve a range of services provided by Wild Côa Network members, and are already being booked by a growing number of prospective tourists. The team are also planning to oversee publication of an annual Greater Côa Valley magazine, which would promote the area as a nature-based tourism destination, and the services and products of Wild Côa Network members.
Networking event
At the end of February, an event entitled “EXPERIENCE CÔA” saw around 60 people gather in the city of Pinhel, in the south of the Greater Côa Valley rewilding landscape. They discussed the Wild Côa Network, the results of the survey and ideas for improvements, and how rewilding can help to promote nature-based tourism in the area. Some of these ideas have already been acted on, such as the nature-based tourism packages. Four members of the network made presentations at the event, with other presentations made by representatives of Rewilding Portugal and Rewilding Europe. Altogether, 21 members of the network were present, together with other businesses interested in joining, and representatives of local municipalities.
“The event helped us to engage with potential new members for the network, and to strengthen our relationships with municipalities,” says Fernando Teixeira. “Going forwards, the Rewilding Portugal team aim to hold a similar event every two years.”
