Raia/La Raia Border Route Strategic Plan

In drawing up the strategic plan, P&DP aims to achieve the proposed objectives and develop a sustainable tourism product that is at the same time compatible with optimizing economic and social benefits.

Special thanks to Olga Afonso for her availability and support for this project.

The strategic plan was developed in three phases, the first and second of which have now been completed.

First phase

1. analysis of the environment, the situation of current tourist activity and the area in which it is carried out;

2. analysis of resources;

3. synthesizing previous information and drawing up conclusions;

4. selection of objectives and strategies;

5. development, detailing specific actions.

The second stage answered three basic questions:

a) Where are we?

b) Where do we want to go?

c) How will we get there?

Conclusions from the first and second phases of the plan.

In most cases, private resources are mixed with collective resources (geonatural, cultural, etc.), and it will also be necessary to create specific infrastructure, equipment and services for the development of the tourist destination.

It's quite clear that when a tourist decides to go on a trip, he knows perfectly well that he won't be staying in a hotel or camping site, but will be visiting the city, the woods, the monuments, etc. Therefore, a tourist's satisfaction will be given by a series of experiences that go from the moment they unpack their bags to the moment they return home. And between these two actions there are a wide variety of experiences that will condition the tourist's stay in the place. In other words: there are many factors that will vary the final valuation of the experience tourists have.

A large part of the areas to which the entrepreneur cannot respond is the responsibility of the public administration, hence the need for cooperation between the two sectors.

Urban planning that is inclusive of all people and respectful of the environment.

The relationship between entrepreneurs and public administrations must be based on active management shared by both parties, in order to promote development plans with a forward-looking perspective and high economic value. Close collaboration between both sectors is essential, especially in terms of public administrations' involvement in an active management process and the contribution of capital to maintain projects.

We mention the following

- Sponsorship of the necessary infrastructure;

- Sponsorship of tourism training;

- Financing private initiatives;

- Support for the idea and design of new products and destinations;

- Adequate maintenance of services, infrastructure and equipment.

The P&DP collaborative platform is creating a considerable relationship between the public and private sectors in the municipalities of Almeida and Cidade Rodrigo. Castelo Branco, Covilhã and Cáceres We are currently directing joint efforts in favor of the experience process that each consumer is looking for. From the beginning until the service is provided, the public and private sectors must move together to the same place.

The main effort is focused on the integral management of all the products that operate within the same destination. The four major economic players in the sector (state administration, local administration, institutions and private companies), have their specific weight in each phase of the process of creating the tourist experience.

If we want to steer future activity towards higher levels of quality and opt for sustainable tourism. Greater collaboration and the search for new organizational models will be necessary to develop more effective active management shared by both parties, the key factor being coordination between everyone.

We are beginning the third phase of the strategic plan:

1- Aiming to draw up an agreement that will serve as a benchmark for everyone. The aim of this agreement is to establish the different commitments that need to be made, such as how the companies interested in the Raia/La Raia route should work or how the different hotel congress organizers should collaborate. The result of this agreement is enormously positive, since it allows all professionals, companies and associations to have a common point of reference and, when the aim is to organize some kind of event in a given location, this document guarantees a type of service with a certain quality.