Andalusia - The project of "Water Lands"
Presentation of the objectives, actions and results of the “Water Lands” project, financed by PIC Interreg IIIB Medocc.
Each one of the partner areas, i.e., Novara and Vercelli plains, Guadalquivir plain in Andalusia, the French Camargue and the broader area of Thessaloniki in Greece represents a different reality; their common feature is water, an element that strongly characterizes landscape, culture, tradition and economy.
The recognition of a “rice civilization” that has significantly shaped and qualified these territories inspired the idea of creating “Water Lands”, perceived as “Rice Fields”, a project of transnational tourism promotion aiming at the development of integrated and sustainable tourism linked to rural, landscape and enogastronomic aspects, focusing on discovering ancient traditions and aspects of daily and social life.
In this context, Novara Chamber of Commerce promoted the “Water Lands” project with the consensus and support of the Municipality and Province of Novara, Vercelli Chamber of Commerce and the Province of Vercelli and the Chambers of Commerce of Arles in France, Seville in Spain and Thessaloniki in Greece.
This project, with the contribution of European Regional Development Fund, is implemented under measure 4.2 of community program Interreg III B Medocc, the objective of which is the promotion of an alternative and sustainable type of tourism (“Promotion d’un tourisme alternatif et durable”).
“Water Lands” is seen as a challenge for the development and promotion of destinations characterized by the presence of vast rice fields, proposing tourist itineraries which promise to all those who will have the pleasure to follow them the discovery of lands of beauty and a rich emotional content.
