More than 500 thousand euros have been allocated for the implementation of the Belarusian-Latvian tourist project "Bella Dvina"

July 8, Polotsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. A declaration on cooperation in the tourism sector was signed today by Belarusian and Latvian participants of the cross-border project "Bela Dvina - Crossing Borders, Discovering Culture, Enjoying Nature of the Western Dvina/Daugava Region" ("Bela Dvina") in Polotsk at an international conference, a BELTA correspondent reports. The declaration on cooperation in tourism in the "Bela Dvina" space between the border regions of the Vitebsk region and the Latgale region provides for joint work on promoting the "Bela Dvina" tourist region, addressing issues of cross-border planning of tourist facilities, and developing and implementing joint cross-border initiatives and projects. The document was signed by 9 district and city executive committees of the Vitebsk region and the Latgale Development Region. The "Bela-Dvina" project was implemented from 2008 to 2010 within the framework of the EU program "Baltic Sea Region - INTERREG III B - Neighbourhood Program - INTERREG III A - Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus (South) Priority". Its participants include the Polotsk City Executive Committee, Beshenkovichi, Verkhnedvinsk, Vitebsk, Gorodok, Miory, Rossonsky, Sharkovshchinsky districts, and 6 districts of Latvia. Project partners also include the Latgale Regional Development Agency (Latvia), the Vitebsk Center for Regional Studies and Development, and the institution "Interaction" of the German-Belarusian House in Belarus. Over 560 thousand euros were allocated for its implementation, including more than 480 thousand euros from the European Union. During this time, 12 routes were created, including car, water, bicycle, horse, and mixed tourist routes along the Western Dvina, running through the Vitebsk region and the border regions of Latvia, equipment was purchased for water tourists, 5 campsites were equipped, and tourist information centers and points were created in the Vitebsk region and Latvia. -0-