Government of the Azores recognizes the need to combat seasonality in tourism – Companies

The regional secretary of Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, recognized the need to combat the seasonality of tourism in the Azores, which is seen as the “true engine” of the regional economy.

The holder of the Tourism portfolio reiterated the “firm objective of having tourism all year round and on all islands“, having recognized the need to “work hard on mitigating seasonality, dispersing tourist flows and planning and enhancing the territory”.

Berta Cabral spoke on Friday at the closing session of the first edition of the “Azores Tourism Summit”, which took place in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel.

The regional secretary said that This year, the prospects point to exceeding four million overnight stays and 175 million euros in revenue in the hotel industry“with a growing and increasingly competitive reputation at an international level”, while “unequivocally confirming a truly sustainable growth process”.

“With the right and determined steps, we have built a path that allows tourism to currently represent around 20% of Gross Value Added, 17% of GDP and 17% of regional employment, according to the results of the study we presented”, said Berta Cabral.

According to Berta Cabral, tourism “is today a true engine of the economy of the Azores and the main economic activity creating wealth, jobs, investment and opportunities for the future of the islands”.

The minister said that it is necessary to recognize that “the dynamism and versatility of tourism have contributed, in an unparalleled way, to the democratization of income, opportunities for personal development, and self-employment, on all the islands”.

For Berta Cabral, it is necessary to “continue to invest in the development and qualification of the offer, aware of the competitive aggressiveness of this sector and the growing responsibility that external notoriety poses”.

The political leader stated that the proposed Regional Annual Plan for 2025 maintains an investment volume of more than 19 million euroswhere promotion, destination qualification and sustainability remain key pillars.