Holapueblo, the counteracting depopulation platform promoted by Redeia, IKEA, and AlmaNatura, has already helped 45 towns struggling with demographic challenges gain 167 new residents (68 families). In the coming months, another 41 people (20 families) are expected to arrange their relocation.

Holapueblo is now launching its fifth edition, continuing its support for rural towns in reversing depopulation issues and revitalising their business environment and economy. The initiative not only seeks to attract new families to rural areas, but also to help them launch entrepreneurial projects.

Currently, thanks to the platform’s support, 42 businesses have been established and are now fully operational.

The so-called ‘holapueblers’ are mostly Spanish couples around 40 years old with children, though some participants hail from other countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Romania.

Their start-ups are predominantly led by women and are mostly related to the service sector. Some examples include running bars and restaurants, managing tourist accommodations, catering for events, graphic design, photography, social media management, digitisation of businesses, or designing and manufacturing garments.

‘We are made to feel very welcome’

Daniela Bascuñan and Javi González, along with their two daughters, have settled in Belorado, a town in Burgos with 1,800 residents. Here, they have opened a bar serving locals and pilgrims travelling along the Camino de Santiago. ‘We are made to feel very welcome. They're helping us with all the paperwork, while the kids spend all day playing in the town square. It's amazing,’ they stated. In Belorado, there are other ‘holapueblers’ with whom they've formed a close-knit community: ‘We feel like friends, connected by everything we have in common.’

Eva Hernández, Sergio Domínguez, and their two children chose to live in Lumbrales, a town in Salamanca with 1,550 residents. They purchased a campground that had been abandoned for 10 years. 'The bureaucratic process was long, and restoring the campground has been challenging. But now that we are operational, we're enjoying it.’ Moreover, they are fully committed to attracting more families to repopulate this town.