On 11 and 12 December, the Smart Coast project promoted a two-day meeting for the kick-off of the project, in Piélagos (Santander, Spain), focusing on developing a common and replicable strategy for the sustainable management of visitor flows for a resilient Tourism in Coastal areas.
Through cooperation between Atlantic Area regions facing the challenge of massive Tourism, the project aims to provide tools for better understanding and managing coastal tourist flows, and to rethink access to these areas from a sustainable perspective.
To provide partners with a first-hand understanding of the pilot’s planned actions, the meeting included visits to Piélagos spots. It was relevant to showcase the natural and geological value of the selected sites within the Costa Quebrada Geopark, and to enable direct exchange with local stakeholders about site-specific challenges and opportunities. In the Valdearenas and Canallave areas, the Municipality of Piélagos also presented a plan for the Pinares parking area.
Funding for the Smart Coast project was approved in the context of the third call for projects under Interreg Atlantic Area. It is expected to be implemented over the next two years, with a budget of around €3 million, and the partnership is led by the French institution Groupement d'Intérêt Public Littoral en Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
