Due to the problems of the European rural environment, the European Union introduced territorial development strategies called the Leader Method (LEADER Initiatives and the now extinct PRODER Operational Programs implemented only in Spanish territory). The objective was to activate the economic development of these areas, to maintain the population and to slow down the migration and aging processes. During the last 25 years, these initiatives have been implemented in European rural areas, and more particularly in Extremadura, establishing new activities such as rural tourism, which has become the economic backbone of many families, complementing agricultural incomes. The development of rural tourism has led to the implementation of accommodation and catering services throughout Extremadura, adapting to the new tourist demands. However, after 25 years, its sustainability has been very different, with contextual variables that have conditioned its success. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the economic sustainability of the tourism offer financed by Leader and the extinct Proder in order to identify the factors that have determined its success in a territory with very diverse characteristics. For this purpose, a methodology based on two statistical analysis techniques (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) has been designed to establish behavioral patterns through the different context variables used. The results obtained have shown that factors such as investment, location, the presence of protected resources and accessibility are determining factors for the survival of the tourism offer.

Extremadura recibe desde hace 25 años fondos de la Unión Europea, aplicados bajo el Método Leader, encaminados a mantener la población y a complementar las rentas agrarias de las zonas rurales. Una de las actividades que más se ha promocionado ha sido el turismo mediante la creación de una oferta (alojamientos y de servicios de restauración), que sirva de soporte para satisfacer las necesidades de una creciente demanda. Sin embargo, el estudio del mantenimiento de dichas infraestructuras ha sido escasamente analizado dentro de la comunidad científica, y, por ello, este estudio tiene el objetivo de analizar el éxito y la permanencia de las empresas de alojamientos y restauración en dos de los Grupos Leader de la región extremeña con mayor inversión: Sierra de Gata y Valle del Jerte. Todo ello, mediante diferentes análisis estadísticos y de correlación que permitan no solo comprobar el grado de éxito, sino también que variables de contexto están favoreciendo al mantenimiento de estas empresas. Los resultados obtenidos indican, como media, que el 50 % de los negocios turísticos cofinanciados siguen activos, con diferencias entre los dos territorios estudiados y que variables como el índice de vejez, el tamaño de la población, la renta por hogar o la inversión realizada afectan directamente a la supervivencia de las infraestructuras financiadas.

GIS IN ROAD TRANSPORT PLANNING IN EXTREMADURA (SPAIN). Increasingly more importance is given to the role played by infrastructures as an element that shapes the landscape. New highways modify conditions of access, which consequently influences potential regional development. In this sense, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are suitable tools for the calculation of accessibility levels and the implementation of cartographical outputs and results. In the light of these premises, this work is aimed at designing a GIS transportation model in the Regional Community of Extremadura in order to make an inventory and to plan and analyse regional infrastructures from economic and social perspectives. It is also our aim to evaluate the effects derived from infrastructure changes on the landscape by considering the highway transportation systems.In this sense, the calculation of shorter pathways is of great importance in order to achieve realistic accessibility GIS models. These models need calculations of the distance between couples of objects. By means of the calculation of the shortest pathways, distances can be precisely measured through the network that monitors the movements instead of using straight-line distances. By using GIS, models can be created that allow us to predict future trends. In order to study the potential of the designed model, different indicators have been determined showing the communication levels in different areas of Extremadura. Indicators calculated for the different population centres and areas are accessibility in absolute and relative terms, times of minimum access and the gravitational pull in comparison with the most significant populated areas. Maps are then generated with the results obtained from each of the indicators.

At the end of the 20th century, tourism was positioned as an activity capable of diversifying and reactivating the economies of European rural areas, which were experiencing problems of aging and population loss. One of the public initiatives that most promoted the development of tourism was the Leader Method, implemented in 1991 by the European Union, which is still active 25 years later. Within this initiative, the financing of tourist infrastructures adapted to the different rural areas was promoted. However, after 25 years, the economic sustainability has been very different and internal and external factors have determined their success. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the survival of the tourism offer financed by Leader in order to identify the factors that have determined its success in one of the European regions that has been managing Leader since 1991: Extremadura. For this purpose, a methodology based on a multivariate technique (Cluster Analysis) has been designed, which has allowed to establish a pattern of behavior based on context variables. The results obtained have shown that factors such as the concentration of investment, accessibility to urban spaces or the presence of natural resources in mountain areas have favored the sustainability of the tourist offer. This article shows what have been the keys to success in a given area for the survival of tourism companies by Leader, serving as a reference both for future public initiatives and for the scientific field, since there are hardly any studies focused on this area.

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