Jardival 2 Project

Following the cooperative actions undertaken during the first JARDIVAL project (ALCOTRA program 2014-2020), and with the aim of building upon this experience, the main objective of the JARDIVAL 2 project is to enhance the attractiveness of the cross-border area by increasing visibility and visits to the gardens of the Franco-Italian Riviera.

These gardens, established on both sides of the border between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are an important part of the natural, historical, cultural, and architectural heritage of the area. The aim of this project is to restore, protect, and enhance these exceptional sites, representing a valuable resource for promoting sustainable, diversified, and seasonal tourism throughout the Franco-Italian Riviera. Furthermore, they require and deserve common promotional tools that enable the development of an overall cross-border tourism offering to best intercept visitor flows on a sustainable basis.

The project involves 7 diverse partners, owners and managers of outstanding gardens that are regional, cross-border, national, and even European landmarks, and institutional partners with expertise in tourism development and promotion.

The partner municipalities will carry out refurbishment and restoration of 3 historic gardens and a Mediterranean park: Villa Faravelli’s Garden in Imperia, Villa Ormond’s Garden in Sanremo, Morès Garden in Cannes, and the Wellness Park in Costarainera. The works will concern buildings, paths, plantings (renewal of species, tree planting), furnishings, and visitor reception areas.

The work also includes modernizing signage and improving accessibility by connecting with the Western Liguria Bike Path, as well as enhancing access for people with reduced mobility.

These rehabilitated gardens will be promoted through an entirely cross-border promotional strategy. All partners will be involved in its implementation: the municipalities will support local promotional activities, and the Alpes-Maritimes department will produce high-quality cross-border materials for local and international clients. The activities will also target a more focused audience of socio-professional operators and specialized press in the field of garden tourism, a real lever of economic development. The challenge is to attract visitors outside the summer period to reduce the impact of mass tourism on the region. Large-scale edutours and B2B and B2C events will be organized (even outside the ALCOTRA area to further increase the appeal of the Franco-Italian Riviera) and will benefit from the visibility of the gardens provided by the fourth edition of the 2023 Garden Festival and the media momentum it will generate.

The two tourism promotion bodies, the Côte d’Azur France Regional Tourism Committee and the In Liguria Agency, play an essential role in this cross-border project. The objective is to jointly strengthen the year-round influence of two areas facing the same tourism flow issues, related to the need for better marketing knowledge on both sides of the border, to stimulate collaboration among partners, and to work in a context where proximity has become fundamental.

The project stems from tourism strategies aimed at revitalizing local markets, diversifying tourism beyond the traditional winter snow and summer beach schema, and preserving natural heritage and biodiversity.