The Project Querança aims to requalify the village by promoting creative tourism and enhancing its economy. The village of Querença suffered from depopulation, aggravated by the the exodus of young people and a law birth rate. This rural region made little use of natural and cultural heritage as a source of local livelihoods. The project's mission team -- 9 young graduates from the University of the Algarve -- was formed in June and in September they began their 9-month experience in the village of Querença, a village where they moved and settled. This young team was given the challenge of getting to know the local resources (natural, rural, cultural, social), studying them, and re-using them in a perspective of valorisation and sustainable profitability. Organic farming, ecotourism, sustainable gardening, use of new technologies, creativity are just some of the methodologies and techniques in use to generate ideas that can lead to economically viable programmes. 

The key activities of the project, in its initial phase, were: the creation of the 'Market of Querença' and the formation of a network of partners to value local culture in order to show that even the interior areas of the Algarve have much to offer tourists. The Market has brought increased visibility to the area and has also encouraged the development and self-realisation of the local population. The network of partners has undertaken several actions that range from the requalification and reinterpretation of local craft work, to creative toursim (experiences of co-creation involving tourists and local artists) and an annual festival. In all these activitits, the local community is involved as mediator in the process of implementation.