Axis 2 - Nature and culture

Main challenges

The programme region is characterised by a rich cultural life and a diverse, unique natural environment. Over large areas, the Alps determine the natural and cultural conditions of the programme region and continue to be home to the greatest biological diversity in Europe. This rich natural and cultural heritage is not only inextricably linked to the high quality of life of the population, it also forms the economic basis of life for the population. In order to preserve the unique natural and cultural heritage of the region and thus attract tourists to the programme region, tourism, as one of the most important economic sectors in the cooperation area, should play a responsible role in the protection and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage: The aim is to promote soft tourism, focusing on the balance between the use and protection of the cultural and natural heritage. The following concerns are at the heart of this axis:

Protection of natural and cultural resources and their sustainable use to increase the tourist attractiveness of the area and the preservation and enhancement of cultural sites;
Minimising the environmental impact of transport due to tourism, including reducing seasonality to reduce peak loads.

Measures to improve bio- and geodiversity and Natura 2000 sites in the cooperation area will also be sought. To this end, the numerous protected areas (nature and national parks) will be more closely networked and the development of joint strategies and concepts will be optimised across borders. The following objectives will be pursued, among others:

Raising awareness of biodiversity to ensure landscape diversity in the border region;
Joint protective measures, recommendations for action or coordinated guidelines for the protection of ecosystem services.

In this axis, 33 projects with a total budget of 32,679,082.16 euros were approved in three dedicated calls.

You can find the complete list of all funded projects here.

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