Category: News

The President of the Regional Government affirmed that Azores “are growing as a tourist destination with added value” and “far” from massification but underlined that “mitigating seasonality is one of the priorities”. During his speech, José Manuel Bolieiro stated that 2022 is expected to be “the best year ever” for tourism in Azores, which “confirmed” the importance of the sector for “the development of the Azorean economy”. He also mentioned that it is necessary to ensure sustainability in its “three essential components, environmental, economic and social”. José Manuel Bolieiro also referred as “a real challenge” the distribution of tourist flows through the nine islands, “from Santa Maria to Corvo”, the smallest island in the Azores. The President of the Regional Government warned that “new challenges are coming” that “will require resistance and resilience” due to the consequences, which are still being felt, caused by the pandemic of covid-19, the war in Ukraine, inflation, the energy crisis and, also in the case of the Azores, the lack of manpower that “bring reasons to be attentive and proactive in action. José Manuel Bolieiro also explained that the Azores have “unique characteristics in nature, people, culture, heritage”, which ensure the differentiation of the destination and allow travellers to experience “purity, simplicity and genuineness”, elements that “have unfortunately already been lost” in other parts of the world. Source: Jornal Açores

The Azores are “one of the best places in the world for whale watching”, but more than that, the Portuguese archipelago is “working to secure its future”, with “award-winning sustainability programmes that conserve the natural wonders” of the nine islands. The travel section of the world’s most influential geographical society has just released its annual list of ” 25 breathtaking places and experiences for 2023 “, focusing this time on “places full of wonder, rewarding for travellers of all ages, and that support local communities and ecosystems”. There are 25 destinations, divided into five categories: Community, Nature, Culture, Family and Adventure, and the Azores is one of the elected places for 2023 thanks to the bet “on the conservation and protection of biodiversity, air and water quality, and preservation of local heritage”. In the article dedicated to the “five extremely underrated natural escapades for 2023”, the Azores appear at the top of the list, followed by Big Bend National Park, in Texas (USA), Botswana, Slovenia and the Scottish Highlands. Source: Fugas

October 24 will be written in Azores Airlines’ history as the beginning of a new era, the date of its first-ever flight using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This milestone is even more significant considering that, a few days ago, the SATA Group joined the European Union Zero Emissions Aviation Alliance, an initiative seeking to decarbonize the sector by 2050.   Azores Airlines’ first commercial flight fueled with SAF connected Lisbon and Ponta Delgada, with 165 passengers, in an Airbus A320 named UNIQUE with registration CS-TKK. The aircraft took off from Lisbon airport at 7:25 p.m. local time and landed at Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, at 9:30 p.m. local time. The fuel used on this route incorporated 39% renewable origin material known as HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids), representing a 35% reduction in total CO emissions. Preparation and monitorization of this first commercial flight using sustainable aviation fuel involved the energy partners Galp and NESTE and Carlyle Aviation Partners, a commercial aviation investment platform and lessor of the CS-TKK UNIQUE aircraft operated by Azores Airlines. Together with Azores Airlines’ technical teams, the partners ensured the feasibility of this operation. SAF offers similar performance to traditional jet fuel and can be used in the same engines as fossil fuel, but with a significantly lower carbon footprint. SATA Group aims to bring together its efforts to consolidate its sustainability strategy by achieving goals and targets defined for the industry. This is not the only ongoing action by the Azorean airlines. The ambition to reach zero emissions in 2050 consists of many steps: this is a concrete example of an initiative that contributes to building a sustainable future for the air transport sector, which also contributes to the environmental sustainability of the Archipelago of the Azores. Source: Sata Azores Airlines

Azores have won the first national prize in the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) 2022, becoming Europe’s “big reference” for sustainable development. The region won with the Azores Sustainability Charter. The European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) is an initiative of the European Commission aligned with the priorities of the Europe 2020 strategy and coordinated in Portugal by IAPMEI – Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation. The awards “reward initiatives identified as good business promotion practices in various areas, according to their specific contribution to economic development and employment in the regions”. The Azores Sustainability Charter assumes a commitment with the Sustainable Development Goals, declared by the United Nations, and to the sustainability of the Azores tourist destination. The Azores Sustainability Charter is an initiative of the Azores Government to “strengthen the sustainable development of the whole territory”. This aims to “support the adoption of the principles of the 2030 Agenda in an inclusive and comprehensive manner in the various sectors of society”, and “is perfectly aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, playing a fundamental role in their materialisation in Azores”. “This is an important contribution to a fairer, more dignified, more inclusive and sustainable world.” Source: Diário de Notícias

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, presided, on September 22, the III Meeting of the Advisory Committee for the Sustainability of the Azores tourist destination, with the presence of entities that represent the regional interests, linked to the theme of sustainable tourism. The agenda included sharing the guidelines of the Azores Tourism Strategy, which aims to attract a tourist who leaves more value in the destination, while respecting the natural and cultural heritage. The Regional Director of Tourism, Rosa Costa, added the need to work on the structuring of the product, valuing the authenticity and attributes of each island. Migrating the negative effects of seasonality, and measures that encourage the dispersion of tourists across the islands are goals that aim to promote more sustainable tourism. The Azores DMO also provided an overview of the work carried out this year, highlighting the importance of the collaborative process and the involvement of the various public and private agents in order to achieve sustainable development goals and policies throughout the Region. Sustainable tourism must benefit, in the first place, the Azoreans. Learn more about the actions and measures in the Azores Destination Sustainability Action Plan 2019-2030, HERE

“Responsible Travel” has written a full article about Azores destination, stating that it is the first archipelago in the world to be certified according to the GSTC standards. Read the full article here:

The Azores Regional Government has awarded incentives for the purchase of 170 electric vehicles and 46 charging stations in the first half of 2022, a number that exceeds the figures recorded in 2021. Between January and June 2022, support was provided in the Azores for the acquisition of 170 electric vehicles (147 light cars and 23 motorised bicycles) and 46 charging points “for a total amount of more than 423,000 euros”, the regional energy directorate revealed. These figures exceed the total values of 2021, according to the execution report of the incentives for electric mobility, available on the Azores Energy Portal. In total, the Azorean executive received 130 eligible applications (67 from São Miguel, 56 from Terceira, three from Pico, two from Santa Maria, one from Faial and one from Graciosa), having allocated around 305 thousand euros. The incentive allowed the acquisition of “99 light vehicles, 33 charging points, 14 motorised bicycles and one motorised tricycle or quadricycle”. Segundo o relatório, com a atribuição destes incentivos, “foram evitadas as emissões de pelo menos 149,8 toneladas de CO2”, em 2021. The system of financial incentives for the acquisition of electric vehicles and charging points in the Azores was amended in early 2021. The support can reach up to 4 550 euros, if all available supplements are applied, in the case of acquisition of light motor vehicles by individuals. The purchase of charging points for electric vehicles can be subsidised up to 500 euros. According to the Regional Director of Energy, Joana Rita, the Azorean Executive “has prioritised policies that aim to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, simultaneously reducing external dependence on fossil fuels”. Joana Rita, who participated in an online public session on “Electric Mobility in the Azores – State of Play and New Challenges”, organised by the Regional Directorate for Energy, in partnership with the Portuguese Energy Agency (ADENE), argued that public policies are “especially relevant in the current context” of the world. The event was preceded by a working meeting with several regional and national entities, where the state of play of the energy transition of regional public transport was discussed. The European project EMOBICITY, co-financed by the ‘Interreg Europe’ programme, which the Regional Directorate for Energy is part of, was also addressed with a view to improving regional support measures for electric mobility. Source: Lusa

In the context of the BTL 2022 awards, the Autonomous Region of the Azores was awarded a prize in the “Sustainability” category, in clear and unequivocal recognition of the excellent work that has been developed by the Government, as well as by public and private entities, and which places the Azores in the lead on this theme as the first and only archipelago in the world with the “Destination