The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure informs that the project “Azores Routes – Cultural and Landscape Itineraries”, developed and promoted with the Regional Authoroty of Tourism, won the category “Authentic Tourism” of the National Tourism Award 2022, an initiative of Expresso and BPI. “It is a national recognition of great relevance that makes us very proud, because it rewards the strategic vision and technical merit in the implementation of a project that aims to enhance our culture and our islands,” underline the Regional Secretary in charge, Berta Cabral. The “Azores Routes”, presented to the public at this year’s edition of BTL, currently have three thematic routes dedicated to whaling, vineyards, and volcanoes, allowing an experiential visitation flow in several points of the archipelago. These routes are already available to the entire public through the rotas.azores.gov.pt platform, counting on more than 60 public and private partners, gathered in a collaborative network, and providing a multiplicity of resources in the territory – many of them usually unknown or even unavailable to the public. Berta Cabral says that “there are more than 40 structured itineraries that add value to the experience on the islands, bringing together the best features of the Azores, namely nature, heritage, authenticity and proximity”. The governor added that “these routes can be used throughout the year, contributing to the mitigation of seasonality and to a better distribution of tourist flows in the territory”. On 27 September, as part of the celebration of the World Tourism Day, Berta Cabral had already announced the expansion of the Thematic Routes, with two new themes, one dedicated to Industrial Tourism and the other to Maritime Explorations, which are expected to be available by early 2024. The National Tourism Award is a joint initiative of Expresso, BPI and Deloitte that distinguishes the best initiatives in the Portuguese tourism sector, contemplating five categories: authentic tourism, gastronomic tourism, inclusive tourism, innovative tourism, and sustainable tourism. This year 743 applications were submitted, assessed by technical committees and a jury of representatives from different areas of Portuguese society. Azores were also represented by other finalist projects, such as the Azores Wine Company, a wine tourism project, in the Authentic Tourism category; the Bensaúde Group, in the Sustainable Tourism category; and the Azores All in Blue – Tourism and Autism project, winner in the Inclusive Tourism category, to which the Azores Government extends its congratulations. Source: Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure
