16 Dec The strategy “Raia Termal: one destination in two countries”

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

In the act, developed in the Termas del Peso, were present the presidents of the Hydrographic Confederation of the Miño-Sil 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 Bato, 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 Los Baños de Riocaldo, Lobios, and in the Regato de la Posa in Muíños.

He also referred to actions oriented to protect and to value natural spaces that complement the offer of leisure associated to the cross-border thermal tourism, among which stand out, in the Spanish part, the zone for motor homes 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 Pazós Island in Muíños.

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 Bato, were highlighted.

Regarding the joint management and promotion of the destination, he explained the design of several tourism 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 territory Raya Termal, under the slogan “Calm your seat of travel”, images that are available on the web https://www.raiatermalou.com/.

As the central act and conclusions of the day, the presidents of the partner Entities had the opportunity to positively evaluate the results obtained and to expose the possibility of continuing the trail of coordination and cooperation between the Raya 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 project leader.

“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 Rian territory”, concluded Quiroga.

Source: Osil.info