Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania have begun implementing the tourist project "Bella Dvina 2"

May 11, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The Belarusian-Latvian cross-border project "Bella Dvina" has been extended and now includes a region of Lithuania, Igor Zagrekov, a tourism specialist for the "Bella Dvina 2" project, told BELTA correspondent. The project "Bella Dvina 2: Strengthening Tourism Development Opportunities in the Cross-border Region of Latgale-Utena-Vitebsk" has been launched in Belarus, Latvia, and Lithuania, aiming to promote tourism development in the participating regions. "Bella Dvina 2" is a continuation of the EU project "Bella Dvina - Crossing Borders, Discovering Culture, Enjoying Nature of the Western Dvina/Daugava Region," which was implemented in the Vitebsk region and the Latgale region in Latvia in 2008-2010. In the second phase of the project, the Lithuanian region of Aukštaitija joined the Belarusian and Latvian partners, and the project territory now covers two cross-border tourist regions - Bella Dvina and the Baltic Lake District. The project activities, which will last for two years, are aimed at implementing a joint marketing campaign for the cross-border regions, strengthening the capacity of tourist information centers and tourism sector specialists, organizing joint tourism events, and supporting tourism infrastructure. New cross-border tourist routes will be developed, tourism festivals and forums will be held, and joint brochures, maps, and booklets will be published. These and other materials will be distributed at international tourism exhibitions in Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia, where the cross-border Belarusian-Latvian-Lithuanian region will be presented at a joint stand. The project also includes the improvement of beaches on rivers and lakes in the partner regions, the installation of tourist signs, billboards, and road signs. Tourism specialists and tourism service providers will undergo joint training. Equipment will be purchased for tourist information centers in the partner regions, which will improve the quality of tourism services provided in the Vitebsk region, Latgale, and Aukštaitija. The leading partner of the project is the Latgale Planning Region. A total of 11 partners are involved in the project, including two partners from Latvia, three partners from Lithuania, including the Anikščiai District Municipality Administration and the Zarasai District Municipality Administration, five partners from the Vitebsk region - Polotsk City Executive Committee, Braslav, Miory, Verkhnedvinsk, and Rossony District Executive Committees, as well as the "Interaction" Foundation for the Promotion of International Dialogue and Cooperation. The total budget of the project is almost 1.8 million euros, of which 90% is the financial contribution of the European Union under the Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus cross-border cooperation program of the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument 2007-2013. The budget for the Belarusian part of the project is over 400 thousand euros. -0-