Paper short abstract:

The role acquired by the use of housing in tourism activity in Linares de la Sierra (Huelva) is the central axis of this experience of local tourism. Specifically, the process by which a highly private element, such as housing, ends up being considered a common resource.

Paper long abstract:

Linares de la Sierra is a small municipality of 270 inhabitants located in the province of Huelva, occupying a privileged place within Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche.

Under the brand name of "El Valle Escondido", provides a tourist offer of local initiative, which highlights the existence of more than 54 accommodation places (to which must be added the undeclared, but known and publicized locally), 4 restaurants (one of them of high range, quality and recognition), as well as numerous trails and paths that complement the idiosyncrasy of the town.

Within this tourist offer, it is interesting to analyze how Linares's housing rental is a great "asset" with which an important part of its neighbors participate in the local touristic business. This shared interest confers on the activity a "community" character based on Local Based Tourism (LBT). Housing is seldom considered as a resource or variable within LBT experiences; It has been mainly analyzed as a cause of major changes in the previous residential use of the territories in which it occurs (gentrification processes, price increase, change of residents, etc.), and it may be that way in urban spaces (Yrigoy 2017), but what happens when this happens in rural areas?

In Linares we found, on one hand, great real estate possibilities since half of the housing stock is empty and, on the other, a population pyramid marked by aging, which makes the shadow of depopulation a real threat, and where the use of housing can become an interesting example of social-ecological resilience.