Eight of the 16 partners from Belgium, France, Ireland, UK and the Netherlands involved in MAYA II, previously participated in the IIC MAYA project in which the emphasis was placed on the exchange of best practice and knowledge-sharing for the sustainable development of leisure activity in and around marinas. This follow-up project spearheaded by the Province of Zeeland seeks to regenerate ports and harbours for economic development by promoting their roles as gateways, improve the relationship between marinas and their surroundings, and strengthen the functioning of a transnational network of safe sailing areas between the four independent sailing regions in the Southern North Sea and Irish Sea. Marine leisure activities, such as transnational pleasure cruising, are one of the possibilities for enhancing economic benefits to find coherence between spatial and economic development for the harbour area as a whole in relation to the city centre. The added value of cross-border cooperation will be revealed by a combination of both local actions and actions at the level of the entire sailing area. These are: reintegrating the marinas in their natural and urban environments; creating durable gateways in the regional water sports product; stimulating the laying down of international standards of safety, management and facilities of marinas; promoting durable mobility combining pleasure cruising and commercial transport; disseminating innovations in water sports and increasing their economic impact. The ultimate transnational benefit of these objectives will be the emergence of a network of regional safe gateways with a sufficient level of facilities and good links with the hinterland. There is also scope for some transnational marketing activity and joint tourist development strategies. The project incorporates a potentially significant initiative to stimulate greater recreational sailing activity across the North and Irish Sea by establishing a ‘safe route’.
