South West Tourism is a lead partner in an Interreg IVc Interregional Programme project. This project is a partnership between thirteen countries across Europe, South West England, Wales, Midland Region Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania. The application is currently under appraisal, the outcome will be announced in September 2009.
This project focuses upon the role of cultural tourism in the formulation and delivery of regional strategies for sustainable tourism. In particular the partners will share experience on how the improved management of cultural tourism destinations can contribute to the protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage and landscape, especially in relation to the challenges of climate change.
Interreg is designed to stimulate the cooperation between the member states of the European Union on different levels. One of its main targets is to diminish the influence of national borders in order to attain equal economic, social and cultural development of the whole territory of the European Union. Interreg is financed under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The final beneficiaries of Interreg funds are usually public authorities, interest associations and non-profit organisations, such as chambers of commerce, employer organisations, unions or research institutes
South West Tourism represents the region on both the Steering Committee and Monitoring Committee of the Cross Channel and Two Seas Programmes of Interreg.
More details of all European Territorial Co-operation programmes can be found here.
