Human, Social, and Cultural Resources Mobilized by Public Action in Support of Social Innovation in Rural Tourism

This study examines the mobilization of human, social, and cultural resources by public action in the development of social innovation within rural tourism in the Marrakech–Safi region, drawing on the analytical framework of the theory of change. It is based on the assumption that public policies generate differentiated effects depending on their capacity to activate locally embedded intangible resources. The analysis therefore focuses on the mechanisms through which human skills, community dynamics, and cultural heritage contribute to territorial transformations. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on interviews conducted with institutional and territorial actors, complemented by lexicometric analyses including lexical distribution, correspondence factor analysis, similarity analysis, and word cloud visualization. The results highlight the strong centrality of human and social resources in the causal chains of change, notably through training, the inclusion of women and youth, cooperative structuring, and community dynamics. Public action emerges as a catalyst playing a role of support, coordination, and recognition of local actors. However, the analysis also reveals the predominance of formalized institutional frameworks and a still partial mobilization of deep cultural resources and local knowledge. The role of the university, although acknowledged, remains peripheral within territorial dynamics. Anchored in the theory of change, the study shows that the sustainability of social innovation in rural tourism depends primarily on the capacity of public action to activate human, social, and cultural resources in an inclusive and territorially embedded manner in the Marrakech–Safi region.