“Greenways Outdoor”

Creation and transnational promotion of outdoor tourism product linked to European Greenways

Greenways great Outdoors without borders and barriers

Greenways Outdoor: Vías Verdes sin fronteras ni barreras.

Workshop Thursday 21/January/ 2015

Venue: Madrid, Spain (at FITUR International tourism fair; room A 9.13)

Time: 10:30 – 14:30

Objectives:

To present the project Greenways Outdoors
To present key elements to generate successful tourism product around greenways: continuity of the greenways beyond administrative boundaries and accessibility.
To present main requirements and constraints to generate tourism product, with concrete examples of initiatives coming from public and SME.
To encourage greenways network to generate tourism product and to promote them at European level.

Addressed to: Tourism promotion and greenway management authorities; Local service and equipment providers (SMEs) around greenways; Tour operators and active and nature tourism agencies; Public authorities and private organisations that want to promote greenways for tourism in its territories; Potential tourists / end users.

Program (Preliminar):

10:00 – Registration

10:30 – 11:00 – Open act

Representatives from: European Commission; Turespaña; EGWA and Spanish Railways Foundation (FFE).

European Commission: “EU policy on sustainable tourism; EU funds opportunities for tourism and greenways” (tbc)

11:00 – 11:45 – Greenways Outdoor: the project

Project General Overview. Methodology for the development of tourism product: European catalogue of greenway tourism products and professional greenway-related services. Participation at the European Catalogue.

Mercedes Muñoz, European Greenways Association (EGWA) Director, Greenways Outdoor Coordinator. (European Scope)
Carmen Aycart, Greenways Program Manager and Arantxa Hernandez, Head of studies and communication of Greenways Program. Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles. (Spain)
Jesús Blázquez; Manager; Rutas Pangea (Spain)

11: 45 – 12:15 – Break

12:15 – 13:15 – Greenways – No borders no barriers

Keys to offer an attractive tourism product: continuity of greenways beyond administrative boundaries (country, region, province, or municipality), integration in long distances itineraries and accessibility.

Vennbahn greenway. Christoph Hendrich; product developer. Tourismusagentur ostbelgien. (Belgium).
Eurovelo Network. Jesus Freire. European Cyclist Federation (ECF), (Belgium).
Representative from Plazaola Greenway (Spain).
Murcia region greenways. (Spain).Juan Soria Martínez. Gerente del Consorcio de las Vías Verdes de la Región de Murcia.

13:15 -14:15 – Generating greenways product. Round table:

Examples of greenways in different stages of development presented by Greenways Outdoor projects partners. How are they working to generate tourism product? Assets and obstacles. What are the results?

Vidzeme región. Raities Sijas. Vidzemes Turisma Asociacija (Latvia).
Vía verde de la Sierra. María Jiménez, Gerente Fundación Vía verde de la Sierra. (Andalucia, Spain).
Ecopista do Dao, José Carlos Almeida; CIM-Viseu Dao Lafoes (Portugal).
Delta Po. Representative from Local Action Group (GAL) Delta Po (Italy).
Around Subbetica greenway. Antonio Camacho; Subbetica Bikes Friends, (Spain).
Greenways Marathon’s. Representative from Diversport (Spain).