ENJOYPYR: CROSS-BORDER ROUTES IN THE PYRENEES

The EnjoyPyr project, led by the Catalan Tourist Board (CTB) and co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg VI Spain-France-Andorra Territorial Cooperation Programme (POCTEFA 2021-2027), began in January 2024 and has a duration of three years. The CBT’s partners are: 

• Turismo de Navarra, Government of Navarra (Spain) 

• L’Agence des Pyrénées (France) 

• Pyrénées-Orientales Tourisme – ADT 66 (France) 

• Ariège Tourist Board – ADT 09 (France) 

With the collaboration of three partners: 

• Agence Départementale Tourisme Béarn – Pays basque – ADT 64 (France) 

• Andorra Turisme (Andorra) 

• Directorate General for Tourism – Government of Catalonia 

The project has a total budget of nearly 1 million euros and is 65% co-financed through the POCTEFA 2021-2027. This is a European cross-border cooperation programme created to promote the sustainable development of the cross-border territory of Spain, France, and Andorra. POCTEFA stands for INTERREG VI-A Programme Spain-France-Andorra. 

The main objective of the project is to promote the sustainable development of the Pyrenees, working with eight local receptive agencies, the creation, promotion, and marketing of 10 cross-border routes that enhance the tangible and intangible heritage of the destination, improving the overall attractiveness of the Pyrenees. To achieve this, the following three challenges have been proposed: 

• Create one or more routes that traverse the entire cross-border Pyrenees, to be travelled by motorized vehicle, on foot, or by bicycle. 

• Collaborate with companies that can create and market the route. 

• Promote the tourist itinerary created in international markets through all existing channels and tools of the partners. 

EnjoyPyr represents a step forward in response to the challenge of developing and promoting a common tourist offer for the entire Pyrenees destination, through public-private collaboration from its conception. EnjoyPyr is structured on three pillars: 

1. Shared vision of the Pyrenees. The partner entities and associated entities to the project, which include some of the main public organizations responsible for tourism promotion, will work together for the first time to agree on a joint narrative and develop a cross-border action and marketing plan based on shared strategies and values, integrating priority products from each territory. 

2. Public-private collaboration. The involvement of receptive agencies on both sides of the border in the creation of cross-border routes will ensure adaptation to demand and the sustainability over time of the created offer. 

This new offer will promote diversification and seasonality of demand and increase the territory’s attraction capacity by promoting a sustainable, environmentally responsible offer with the ability to extend stays and increase tourist spending in the area. 

3. Joint promotion. Both the public sector and receptive agencies will work together to promote a unique, single destination image, with specific actions for the created routes. Meanwhile, partner entities will coordinate their respective public promotion agendas and resources to maximize impact and visibility, both in destination and source markets. EnjoyPyr will develop a coherent, quality, and sustainable offer that consolidates the position of the Pyrenees as a tourist destination, promotes economic and social development of the territory, and offers opportunities for business initiatives and stable employment to counter depopulation.