The European program ‘Raia Termal: dous pa\u00edses un destino’, a cross-border cooperation initiative co-financed by the Feder Funds through the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal Program (POCTEP) 2014-2020, has put an end to its first edition, having executed 90% of the planned actions, with an investment of 2 million euros. They participated as partners the Deputation of Ourense, the Mi\u00f1o-Sil Hydrographic Confederation and the municipal chambers of Melga\u00e7o and Terras de Bouro, with an area of action that covered from the south of the province of Ourense to the north of Portugal touching the cross-border thermal cores of the rivers Mi\u00f1o – Cortegada-Melga\u00e7o -, and Limia, with Bande, Mu\u00ed\u00f1os and Terras do Bouro.<\/p>\n
The objective of the program was to create a network of cooperation between Ourense and northern Portugal to enhance the thermal wealth of this environment, putting in value joint management and marketing initiatives to create a single border thermal destination, contributing to the development of quality tourism in the area. And, as it was analyzed in the closing day, held in Melga\u00e7o, it seems that this objective has been achieved. For the president of the Deputation of Ourense, the results of this project show “that we know how to work together and value the territory, at a time of new economic opportunities through European funds, but that they are nothing if there is no ability to formulate initiatives like this”. So much so that Manuel Baltar already slips the possibility of a second project Raia Termal “that enhances what is ours, as the thermalism” and should be called, as he points out, “Dous destinations, a country” because “I consider that we are a unique country”.<\/p>\n
As for the results of the program, the project director, Manuel Gonz\u00e1lez, explained that works such as the recovery of river areas affected by sewage in Ba\u00f1os de Riocaldo (Lobios) or the Regato da Pousa in Mui\u00f1os were executed; natural areas that complement the leisure offer associated with thermal tourism were enhanced, such as the Bande motorhome area, the signaling of the Cortegada thermal route, the construction of a pedestrian walkway on the Caldo river and a bicycle path in Lobios; the water line at the do Peso thermal baths was cleaned, subway containers were installed in Melga\u00e7o and environmental recovery and access to the Ger\u00eas river in Terras do Bouro was undertaken.<\/p>\n