• It will be a cross-border destination of thermal, nature and cultural tourism relevant in the Iberian Peninsula, sharing a unique and common tourism strategy under the slogan, RAIA TERMAL: a destination in two countries.
•  “It is important to highlight the social and economic value of the thermal sector and to make visible the importance of the economic activity that it generates” explained José Antonio Quiroga, leader of the group.
•  “The POCTEP is a financial instrument that allows to improve the fluvial environments as a complement to the valuable natural and cultural heritage present in the territory of the region”, concluded Quiroga. 

Melgaço, December 16 2021.- The partners in the POCTEP Raia Termal project have held today in the Portuguese municipality of Melgaço the Closing Day in which they have positively assessed the cross-border cooperation and have agreed to confirm that the territories with potential in thermalism and nature provide the rural world with opportunities for the future.

In the event, developed in the Termas do Peso, were present the presidents of the CHMS and the Diputación de Ourense, José Antonio Quiroga and Manuel Baltar, respectively, and the president of the Municipal Chamber of Melgaço, Manoel Batista, acting as host. On the other hand, the fourth partner in the project, Manuel Tibo, president of the Municipal Chamber of Terras de Bouro, apologized for not attending.

The project was explained by the project director, Manuel G. Sarria, detailing each of the actions developed. In this sense, he spoke of the recovery of fluvial spaces affected by wastewater in thermal environments, through works in the areas of Os Baños de Riocaldo, Lobios, and in the Regato de A Pousa in Muiños.

He also referred to actions oriented to protect and value natural spaces that complement the leisure offer associated to the cross-border thermal tourism, among which stand out, in the Spanish part, the area for motorhomes in Bande, the signaling of the “Thermal Route of Cortegada”, the construction of removable dam, pedestrian footbridge in the Caldo river and bicycle path in Lobios and the path to Illa de Pazós in Muiños.

Likewise, in the Portuguese territory, the cleaning of the water line in Termas do Peso, the tree restoration of the thermal park and the placement of subway containers in the municipality of Melgaço, and the environmental recovery and access to the Gerês river, in Terras de Bouro, were highlighted.

Regarding the joint management and promotion of the destination, he explained the design of several tourist products that combine the different resources and services of the cross-border territory, as a reinforcement of the current offer.

As a complement to the explanations, promotional videos were played that clearly show the qualities and potential of the Raia Termal territory, under the slogan “Calm your thirst for travel”, images that are available on the web https://www.raiatermalou.com/.

As the main event and conclusions of the day, the presidents of the partner entities had the opportunity to positively evaluate the results obtained and to raise the possibility of continuing the coordination and cooperation between the Raia territories.

“It is important to highlight the social and economic value of the thermal sector and to make visible the importance of the economic activity it generates” explained José Antonio Quiroga, president of the CHMS and leader of the project.

“The POCTEPs are a financial instrument that allows to improve the fluvial environments as a complement to the valuable natural and cultural heritage present in the Rhaetian territory”, concluded Quiroga.

“This project allowed us to embrace the territories, to create relationships in the territories, to create bridges that will last for other and bigger projects that cooperation has to do. With the “Raia Termal” project we managed to carry out relevant actions on both sides of the border.

We are all aware today that without close cooperation between both sides of the border we will not be able to make the right path for the territories.

Only with the attractiveness from the industrial point of view and the bet on the development in a set of important areas in our territories, we will be able to bring economy and more quality of life to the territories. These are some of the important challenges, in my opinion, of what cooperation is. And the great result is, undoubtedly, the rapprochement of the territories, a greater connection between them.

The challenges are great. We must take advantage of them to bring more development to both sides of the borders”. – said Manoel Batista, Mayor of Melgaço.

Now is the time to start thinking about the program “Raia Termal II”, said Manuel Baltar, “that if on this first occasion had a title, in the next project should be called so, because I think we are a unique country”, noting in this regard that “I feel at home in the condition of Ourense as the Spanish province that has more kilometers of border with Portugal and the close and historical ties that bind us.”