Becoming a Developed and Sustainable Destination: La Siberia Biosphere Reserve in Spain

This paper reflects on the controversies to protect, and develop rural areas presenting the current situation, and the future, of the La Siberia Biosphere Reserve, located in the Extremadura region of Spain. Adopting a qualitative research design, we have gathered and examined the primary initiatives implemented for the Tourism Sustainability Plan of the reserve spanning from 2021 to 2023 and engaged in discussions regarding the potential of this region with the manager of the current Regional Development Centre, and a selection of key informants. In addition, opportunities and threats have been gathered from media. We employed the qualitative method and the content analysis, with ATLASti software (ATLAS.ti.7). We have noticed that soon, this region will develop new proposals by fostering private-public collaboration. The findings indicate that the preservation of natural resources, that has emerged as a pivotal source of innovation, must deal with new entrepreneurial activities that can put the sustainability of the territory at risk. What sets this work apart is its portrayal of Extremadura as a benchmark for sustainable social and economic development fostered by regional public policies. It is our conclusion that both academia and society should establish collaborative spaces that facilitate the formation of entrepreneurial ecosystems, fostering the cultivation of talent and effectively addressing the new regional challenges in Europe.