Azores approve new walking routes
Nine new walking routes were approved in the Azores regional network. The regional network of walking routes now counts 95 official walking routes, an increase of 75km, reaching a total length of 830 km. Among the walking routes is the “Grande Rota” on Terceira island, with about 34 km, which brings to 7 the total number of Grandes Routes in the archipelago. The promoters of the new proposals, mostly municipalities and parish councils, have 12 months to implement the completed paths, and some new proposals are expected to be opened later this summer. The Regional Tourism office is fully responsible for implementing the signage, information panels and communication of these new 106.3 km of walking routes. The network of walking routes in the Azores is now strengthened, “enhancing the tourist product of hiking, which is considered one of the core products and most demanded by those visiting the destination”. In addition to the diversification of walking routes, with itineraries that allow you to enjoy new landscapes, “the new trails will contribute to a better distribution of tourist flows across the nine islands of the Azores”, the regional government said in a statement. The current Pedestrian Route Monitoring Committee, which handles the approval of the routes, is met by a representative of each of the following entities: Regional Tourism office, who presides; Regional for Environment and Climate Change office; Regional for Forest Resources office, Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Azores Tourism Association, Association in the area of Pedestrianism, Regional Delegation of the National Association of Parishes. Source: Publituris