Major European conference in Powys

 A major European conference that examined the tourism economy and the information society was held in Powys last week.

 

The I-SPEED conference, which featured Powys County Council and nine European partners, was held at Lake Vyrnwy Hotel, Llanwyddyn last Wednesday (9 February).

 

I-SPEED – Information Society Policies for Sustainable European Economic Development – is an INTERREG IV C project with partners from Poland, Greece, Norway, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, France and two from Italy involved in the project.

 

Officially launched in 2010 in Venice, the main issues tackled by I-SPEED are the lack of awareness among policy makers about the Information Society potential to improve public services and foster growth, and the loss of competitiveness of European Tourism Economy.

 

Cllr Wynne Jones, Powys County Council Board Member for Regeneration and Development, said: “Hosting the conference provided an excellent opportunity for the county to raise its profile on the European stage as well as sharing experiences and working with others in important sectors.

 

“The partners, mainly local and regional authorities, will meet during the three years of the project to discuss and share best practices on ICT and Information Society. In particular it will address how these can be used to provide services to tourists, to support tourism providers, and ensure that public sector bodies can help a sustainable tourism sector.”

 

The Programme INTERREG IVC is financed by the European Union's Regional Development Fund.

 

Pictgure:  Attending the I-SPEED conference were (from left to right) José Paz, Director of the Tourist Research Institute, Galicia Region, Spain; Valérie Demangeau, Vice President Nantes Municipality, France; Gian Paolo Manzella, President Delegate for Innovation and Economic Development, Province of Rome, Italy; Cllr Wynne Jones, Board Member for Regeneration and Development; Christian Haugen, County Commissioner Hedmark County Council, Norway; and Carla Rey, Deputy Mayor for Commerce and Urban Quality, City of Venice, Italy.