The Association for the Development of Regions in 2015 changed its name to APURE Association for the Development of Regions and took over the existing goals. The decision about the change was made at the general meeting of the APURE Association in Portugal and at the meeting in Poland, when the key decisions for the future of the international organization were made. The most important arrangements for the reorganization of APURE: change of name, preparation of a new statute, preparation of an action plan, informing the European Union about the reorganization of the Association, opening of the APURE Association for the Development of Regions to new countries.

In June 2016, the APURE Association for Regional Development meeting was held under the chairmanship of the president Istvan Bali and vice-president Maria Grzechynki with the participation of representatives of various organizations from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Hungary and Poland. Discussed, among others directions of activity and further development, perspectives and possibilities of implementing joint projects financed within the EU as well as methods of gaining funds for the development of organizations supporting rural areas. Delegates also considered the possibilities of promoting APURE in Europe, with particular emphasis on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. An important point of the meeting was the preparation and discussion of the Association's development strategy for the coming years.

During their stay in Poland, members of the delegation visited the agritourism farm from the thematic route "Małopolska Wieś Pachnąca Ziołami", developed by the Sądecka Tourist Organization in cooperation with the Lesser Poland Voivodship. The trail consists of 19 attractively located agritourism facilities specialized in the field of cultivation and extensive use of herbs. The farm is run by enthusiasts of herbs and ecology - people who cultivate the traditions and customs of the region. A stay at this hospitable place was a great opportunity for a close encounter with nature and the tradition of the Lesser Poland countryside. The summary of the visit was a thematic seminar - "Analysis and presentation of good practices related to the creation of a tourism product".

Another highlight of the program was the delegates' trip to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. In the picturesque town, a historic monastery was visited – the only calvary in the world inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The sanctuary, which has over 400 years of history, called Polish Jerusalem, is the most important pilgrimage center in Poland, along the famous Papal route leading from Wadowice to Krakow. Kalwaria is also known throughout the country, and even abroad, thanks to a craft with a great reputation, whose traditions date back to the 17th century. This applies mainly to the carpentry and shoemaking industries.

The guests leaving our country were impressed by what they experienced and saw in Poland. The quest were impressed by the rapid development of the country, but also cultural and tourist values of Lesser Poland. The heritage tourism, which is promoted by the ESPO, assumes respect for exceptional ethnographic values, affects the promotion of local culture and fulfills educational functions - it teaches tradition and history of the region and nurtures local values. Heritage tourism is an opportunity for local development of rural areas and is part of the joint activity of the ESPO and the APURE Association.