Get Involved in Nature Photography
Empleaverde+ program
The Empléate in nature photography project is based on an urgent reality: the growth of nature tourism in Spain has generated a labor demand that companies in the sector can barely cover, due to the lack of qualified personnel and the lack of regulated training adapted to the real needs of this field. Unlike other countries where nature tourism is studied as a university degree, in Spain training is dispersed, not very professionalized and unrelated to the specific technical profiles that the sector requires, as is the case of the hides manager.
This project responds to this lack with a comprehensive training proposal aimed at unemployed people, focused on the management of the nature photography tourism product. A complete journey is proposed that covers from the fundamentals of ecotourism to the specialized functions associated with the design, management and marketing of sustainable experiences in protected areas.
In addition to addressing photography and conservation know-how, the project focuses on cross-cutting training in soft skills, accessibility, customer service, and sustainability, including hands-on field experience. The aim is to prepare participants to occupy jobs that require a global vision of the sector, allowing their rapid integration into a growing labour market.
Among the main needs detected and that the project seeks to solve, the following stand out:
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The lack of recognition of key profiles such as the hide manager.
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The lack of coordination between public and private actors.
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The administrative and logistical difficulties of operating in protected areas.
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The low profitability of complementary services to photography (guiding, accommodation, transport).
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The absence of a common brand, ICT tools or shared promotion strategies.
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Barriers to access to the product by women and groups with lower purchasing power.
With this approach, the project not only improves employability in rural areas and natural spaces, but also reinforces the role of nature photography as a tool for conservation and local revitalization. The training provided seeks to professionalise the sector, increase the quality of the tourism offer and contribute to consolidating a stable, inclusive and deep-rooted green employment model in the territory.
Line of action:
Terrestrial ecosystemsStatus:
En ejecuciónExecution date:
2025End date:
2027 Related callGeneral Objective
To train unemployed people and hire them for the integrated management of the services that make up nature photography experiences in Spain, ensuring their viability and sustainability as a tourist product and as an ecosystem service linked to protected natural areas and the Natura 2000 Network.
Specific Objectives
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To provide complete and specialized training in the design, planning, management and marketing of nature photography experiences as a form of ecotourism.
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Facilitate access to green employment in rural areas and protected areas through the direct hiring of trained people, thus promoting the creation of stable and qualified employment.
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To cover the lack of specialized technical personnel in hides and ecotourism companies, training professional profiles that currently do not exist in the market.
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Incorporate innovative learning methodologies that combine theory and practice (on-the-spot learning, case studies, role-playing, problem-based learning).
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To raise awareness among participants about the environmental and social importance of nature tourism as a tool for the conservation of biodiversity and the fight against rural depopulation.
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Promote equal opportunities and the inclusion of women, young people and priority groups in a traditionally masculinised sector with access barriers.
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To contribute to the professionalisation of ecotourism by promoting good practices, sustainability, accessibility and integration of complementary tourist services (accommodation, transport, guidance).
Expected results of the project:
1. Training of 40 unemployed people from Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia and Extremadura in the management of nature photography products, with a comprehensive and professional approach.
2. Direct hiring of 5 people trained for 18 months in companies in the sector, occupying positions linked to both field management and service and marketing tasks from the office.
3. Increase in employability in rural areas and protected areas through practical training in an emerging tourism product, with a strong future projection and aligned with the principles of green employment.
4. Creation of a specific professional profile linked to the figure of the manager of hides and manager of nature photography experiences, currently non-existent in official training systems.
5. Application of innovative methodologies in the training process: place-based learning, problem-based learning, case studies and role-playing.
6. Increase in the representation of women and priority groups (young people, people over 45 years of age, residents of rural areas, etc.) in the ecotourism sector.
7. Availability of unpublished and structured training materials that can be reused and transferred to other ecotourism actors at the national level.
8. Reinforcement of the quality and sustainability of the nature photography product in Spain, linking it to existing brands and networks such as “Soy Ecoturista” or AEFONA.
9. Improvement of collaboration between companies, associations and public administrations to promote the professionalisation of the sector throughout Spain.
Get Involved in Nature Photography
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