General Objective:
Firstly, the project will provide the territory with better governance instruments in the field of tourism. It will promote collaboration methods between public administrations and private initiative in order to create and consolidate the tourism offer of the destination according to criteria of sustainability, competitiveness and socio-territorial balance (through the creation of the Rio Minho Tourism Development Support Service, the promotion of a Business Collaboration Network involving all levels of the value chain, and participation in Rio Minho tourism events).
Secondly, in order to create a genuine tourist destination in the territory, the project envisages the creation of four tourism products: Gastronomy; Nature; Navigable Rio Minho; and Fortresses and Heritage.
For their promotion, routes will be organised through the natural and historical resources of the territory (such as the fortresses), as well as river routes along various stretches of the navigable Rio Minho. The European protection label “food craftsmanship” will be introduced among operators, and food products together with the promotion of this distinction will be enhanced.
The project will also undertake the restoration, conservation or improvement of certain infrastructures, facilities and resources in order to increase the tourist appeal of the territory. Key tourism facilities and resources will be adapted for the implementation of the planned products, and improvements will be made in signage and accessibility (access to facilities and resources, as well as interpretative information), with the aim of creating an inclusive destination.
Finally, the project will deliver a Destination Digitalisation Plan and various digital management and promotion tools, as well as awareness-raising and training actions in tourism digital marketing, among others, in order to build a smart tourist destination.
Specific Objectives:
VISIT_RIO_MINHO_PLUS aims to support the economic development of this cross-border area by promoting the consolidation of a smart and sustainable tourist destination in the area formed by the population centres on both banks of the international stretch of the Rio Minho, as a tool to address the demographic challenge faced by this territory.
Without losing sight of the general context (European funding and crisis) or the specific context (ageing and population decline), the project is committed to implementing tourism promotion measures adapted to the territory, always taking into account that a tourism monoculture is undesirable, especially when preserving and making use of its natural and cultural heritage. The desired approach is to promote authenticity as a distinguishing feature of the border area and as a motto of promotion and identity, supporting entrepreneurial local initiatives that arise from within. Only in this way can a sustainable, smart and inclusive tourism model be designed.
This is a project for overall development through tourism. To achieve this, it proposes structuring an offer based on innovative and unique experiences built around its natural, historical and gastronomic heritage, as distinguishing elements of identity and positioning. This will make it possible to revitalise and economically develop rural areas in a sustainable way, making use of endogenous resources and contributing to the transformation of the territory into a hub for retaining and attracting talent. It will provide opportunities for people with innovative business ideas in tourism, the agricultural sector and gastronomy, among others, to find opportunities to launch their projects.
For this purpose, it will be essential to structure and market four flagship tourism products:
- Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
- Nature and Landscape
- Historical Routes and Fortresses (Historical Heritage)
- Navigable Minho
In this process, it will be essential to optimise tourism management in the international Rio Minho territory according to criteria of sustainability and innovation; through the implementation of a sustainable growth model that maximises efforts; takes advantage of the potential offered by ICT applied to tourism management; preserves, promotes and enhances natural resources and historical and cultural heritage; fosters solidarity among municipalities and councils; creates collaboration networks among professionals and local stakeholders; and generates opportunities for improvement in various sectors through the development of endogenous resources, in order to promote progress in the social, economic and cultural fields, creating employment and encouraging population settlement so as to reverse the process of population loss and over-ageing affecting the cross-border territory.
