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Government of the Azores 100% finances the purchase of photovoltaic solar systems

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The Government of the Azores announced the acquisition and subsequent installation of photovoltaic solar systems in the autonomous region, with 100% eligible expenses up to a maximum of 1,500 euros per installed kW. The global allocation of this support is 19 million euros to be applied until 2025. It should be noted that the amount of support for the purchase of photovoltaic solar systems originates from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. With the presentation of this support, the Government of the Azores intends to promote the production of electricity, based on renewable energy sources, in this case, solar photovoltaic systems. Boost the production of electricity from renewable sources This support is possible due to the evolution of this technology, providing an increase in the capacity to respond to the needs of families, companies and other Azorean organizations. Energy dependence of the Azores Through this support, the Government of the Azores takes an important step towards reducing the region’s energy dependence, and at the same time, promotes the reduction of costs with the energy bill of families and companies. 100% financing rate This support for the purchase of photovoltaic solar systems has a financing rate of 100% of the total eligible expenses, in the form of a non-refundable subsidy. This support subsidizes new equipment, being possible to allocate it before the acquisition of photovoltaic solar systems by citizens and companies. Recovery and Resilience Plan This support measure by the Government of the Azores is part of Component 14 – Hydrogen and Renewables of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. This component intends to promote the investment in the production of energy obtained from renewable sources, in accordance with the assumptions of the energy transition. Source: Start_PME

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Azores distinguished as a safe holiday destination in 2022, by the European Safe Destination

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For the 3rd year in a row of a “European Best Destinations” Azores was chosen as a safe destination for holidays in 2022. The election was based on criteria such as the number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, as well as sanitary and local measures imposed by the local authorities to receive tourists in hotels, shops and to restaurants. The distinction made by the website “European Best Destinations”, makes the Azores one of the few destinations that maintained, during pandemic period, the possibility of a safe experience in permanent contact with sustainable nature, and reinforces confidence in choosing the Azores when planning your vacation. Sustainability and safety are the pillars of the Azores destination, visiting the Azores is a complete experience, both in terms of activities (walking tours, whale watching, bird watching, diving, surfing, golf, among others), as well as in terms of landscapes and gastronomy. Source: Açores 24h

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Azores selected to participate in the European Commission’s “Smart Tourism Destinations” project

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The Azores was one of the 50 European destinations selected to integrate the “Smart Tourism Destinations” Project, an initiative of the European Commission that aims to support European Union destinations to improve tourism services and experiences through innovative digital solutions. The Azores DMO, which is part of the Regional Secretariat for Transport, Tourism and Energy, was formally notified that Destination Azores was one of the destinations selected to participate in the project, through the European ‘call’ EU Destinations Managers. The selection of the Azores to participate in this project reinforces the region’s positioning as a reference destination on the map of the most sustainable, innovative European destinations with the capacity to lead new development paradigms. The project comprises the participation in a set of training and capacity building activities in the management of sustainable destinations, with the aim of improving efficiency in the management capacity and data reading at the service of tourism. The participants selected to join this European Commission initiative will also form part of a community of elite European destinations, which will allow for the sharing of knowledge on good smart tourism practices. The participation of the Azores in this project is enthusiastically seen by Mário Mota Borges, Regional Secretary responsible for Tourism, as “a valuable learning opportunity”, since the initiative will establish the roots of collaboration, sharing of knowledge and exchange of experiences and best practices within the European Union’s tourism ecosystem. Mário Mota also mentioned that it is urgent for the region to move “towards a model of smart tourism, where decisions are made in an informed way and supported by reliable and up-to-date data, in line with the fundamental premises of the European Commission guidelines for the digital transition in tourism”. The assumptions of the certification of the Azores as a “Sustainable Tourist Destination” had great relevance in the application and selection process, since the demonstration of evidence of data use in the context of tourist destination management was a fundamental requirement. The performance of the Azores DMO, as well as the entire certification process, is based on a data-based approach with the aim of facilitating the sustainable development of the Azores tourist destination, together with partners from the public and private sector, supporting the adoption of effective solutions for this purpose. Source: Governo dos Açores

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Azores committed to the development of the Regional Program for Forest Management

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As part of the International Day of Forests, which is celebrated on March 21, the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, António Ventura, joined a tree planting action, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira, Azores). The commemorations of this date, organized by the forestry services of the guardianship, are usually attended by students from different schools, in order to raise their awareness of sustainable forest management and the importance of the Laurissilva forest, made up of endemic species of the region of Macaronesia – Azores, Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde. In Azores, the forest supports an economic sector responsible for 1,400 jobs, generating an annual turnover of around 1.8 million euros, through the direct sale of woody material, and 10.9 million euros, when accounted at the level of the industrial sector of the first transformation. With the current change in the consumption requirements of citizens, the various agents in the forestry sector are “adapting” to a new reality “redefining priorities and aligning new strategies”, as the Regional Secretary, António Ventura, said during the action he participated. António Ventura also defended that the Forest Management Certification, implemented by the Government of the Azores on the island of São Miguel, is “fundamental in this process”. This certification guarantees that forest products placed on the market come from responsibly managed forests, which “contributes to counteracting” the scourge of forest destruction at a global level. The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development also mentioned that the forest plays an important role in the “provision of various systemic ecosystem services”, namely in soil conservation, in the regulation and improvement of the quality of water resources, in the conservation of biodiversity, in the landscape maintenance and carbon sequestration. Source: Revista Agricultura e Mar

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Azores prepare the way to raise the level of certification as a Sustainable Tourist Destination

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This week the Regional Secretariat for Transport, Tourism and Energy and the DMO Azores, promoted the meetings of the Sustainability Monitoring Groups of the Azores Tourist Destination, constituted by the regional directorates that make up the Government of the Azores. The meetings, which took place on the islands of Terceira and São Miguel, were to debate the main challenges and identify solutions aimed at the sustainable development of the Azores. This marked a new annual cycle of work, towards a tourist destination increasingly sustainable and properly consolidated in the environmental, social and economic dimensions, integrating the process to obtain level III Silver of the EarthCheck certification. In this process, consultation and collaboration with various regional entities that are related to economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability, is essential for monitoring the actions and goals to be achieved, based on strategic documents of regional policy in the definition of objectives and respective time horizons. Within the scope of the meetings, progress was made on the commitments undertaken as part of the Sustainability Action Plan for the Azores Tourist Destination, as well as the operationalization model of the measures to mitigate the risks identified for the region. The Azores is currently the only archipelago in the world to obtain international sustainability certification according to the internationally accepted criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), embracing the commitment to continuous work in terms of sustainability and the annual evidence of the defined objectives progress. In 2024, Azores want to achieve the gold certification of a sustainable tourist destination by EarthCheck , which requires a shared responsibility by public and private entities and by the local community, in favor of the common good and the progress of the society. More information about the Certification at: Sustainable Azores Source: Governo Regional dos Açores

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Azores wins “People’s Choice 2022” award from Green Destinations

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The Azores won the People’s Choice Award 2022, awarded by Green Destinations, in the category “Decarbonization & Positioning of the destination value supply chain”. In a ceremony organized in partnership with Turismo de Portugal, I.P. and GLP Films, which took place on March 11, 2022 at ITB Berlin, the Azores were awarded for good energy efficiency practices throughout the region and, in particular, for the example of Graciosa Island, known as “model island”. The attribution of the People’s Choice 2022 award proves and reinforces the strategic positioning of the Azores as a sustainable tourist destination, certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria, and proves the region’s alignment with the European Union’s strategic guidelines for the future development of tourism. This award is also the result of the work of the Government of the Azores in promoting renewable energies and the investments and initiatives that aim to promote energy efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In Graciosa, these efforts are worth of mention for the adoption of several measures in terms of sustainable transport, through the investment in an electric bus and the adoption of a ‘bike sharing’ system, self-consumption in clean energy, as well as network electric optimization. ITB Berlin is the largest travel and tourism fair in the world, in partnership with Green Destinations, an entity accredited by the GSTC that recognizes good practices in sustainable development of tourist destinations, over the last few years, projects and initiatives of in the area of Sustainable Tourism, having already distinguished the Azores on several occasions. Source: Açoriano Oriental

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Azores considered the “Best Adventure Destination in Europe in 2021”

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It was in the 29th edition of the World Travel Awards that the Azores archipelago was announced as the big winner of the “European Destination for Adventure Tourism in 2021”, an event that industry professionals likened to the Oscars, in the area of Tourism. The following destinations were also nominated for this category: Austria, England, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Madeira Island, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Wales and the voting had the participation of the public and thousands of professionalism spread. all over the world, which led to the second consecutive destination distinction in this category: Adventure. Luis Capdeville Botelho, executive director of Associação Turismo dos Açores, highlights the happiness in re-validating the distinction, in a category that brings together a large part of our experiences and is another very relevant tool to promote our world destination. He also reinforces that “taking into account the growing demand for sustainable, non-mass tourism and immersive/adventure experiences in contact with nature, ATA, due to the unique characteristics of our archipelago, will continue to promote our products, so sought after by those who visit us, in the best way possible”. Source: Açores 9

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The Government of the Azores highlights the importance of sustainable tourism practices

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The Regional Secretary for Transport, Tourism and Energy of the Azores, Mário Mota Borges, defended in Lyon (France) that it is determinant to follow sustainable practices, for the benefit of locals and tourists who visit the Azores. Mário Mota Borges, guest speaker representing the Azores, in the ISTO Forum Europe – an event that takes place in Lyon and is organized by the European section of the International Social Tourism Organization – said that, as the region is the first and only archipelago in the world certified as a Sustainable Tourism Destination by the standards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), it is crucial to follow sustainable practices that benefit the experience of tourists. The head of the Tourism department intervened in a round table on the theme “A responsible and sustainable tourism destination: what does it mean, how to embody it and with which tourism stakeholders?” As referred to in the press release by the Azorean executive, Mário Mota Borges presented the paradigm of the Azores and the good practices that have been implemented in the region, revealing the success of the broad collaborative approach and a firm strategy of the Regional Government of the Azores towards sustainability. Related the excellent performance of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Regional Secretary stated the high levels of safety existing in the Azores, which make the region a destination of excellence and able to respond to the great challenges of today, in a responsible and sustainable way. Source: Diário Notícias

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Sustainability Charter represents a treaty of inspiration and guidance standards for the Azores

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The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, defended on the evening of Thursday, 30th of September 2021, that the Azores Sustainability Charter, an initiative of the Regional Secretariat for Transport, Tourism and Energy, represents a “true treaty of norms of inspiration and guidance ”for the Region. “In terms of environmental sustainability, the legacy of the Azores is a world reference. And it’s not just for being so, it’s also for being recognized worldwide”, also referred José Manuel Bolieiro, speaking at the end of the signing of the Azores Sustainability Booklet by the members of the XIII Regional Government. The session took place in the city of Horta and the event was part of the World Tourism Day celebrations. “We have an affirmed sustainability policy. We have an action plan for sustainability in our development”, praised the President of the Government, for whom steps should also be taken in other areas and there should be a “progressive path” of “social, economic and also cultural sustainability”. José Manuel Bolieiro also recalled that this moment was seized by the Executive to reflect “on the sustainability” of tourism “in its most holistic view”, with the XIII Regional Government having a “deep idea of territorial cohesion”, in which “not even the biggest nor the smallest island will be left behind in the defined objectives”. Before that, the Regional Secretary for Transport, Tourism and Energy, Mário Mota Borges, highlighted the work carried out with regard to tourism recovery for the post-covid-19 period. “The Azores has been consolidating its position as a tourist destination for Nature, increasingly associated with an idyllic, welcoming and sustainable image. These are differentiating forces that bring us great benefits, but also great responsibility. It is, for all that, that we reaffirm today our leading role in the development of sustainable tourism”, he said. The document signed on Thursday publicly assumes the commitment to 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 Regional Secretariat for Transport, Tourism and Energy and already has 155 subscribing entities, with more than 600 commitments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved. This initiative took place in the same week that the Region receives the EarthCheck auditor, an entity certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), within the scope of the renewal process of the Silver level certification as a Sustainable Tourist Destination. Source: Governo dos Açores

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Azores Regional Government claims leadership in commitment to Sustainability

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According to the program of activities associated with the celebration of World Tourism Day, the XIII Regional Government signed the Azores Sustainability Charter on Thursday, 30th of september 2021, in the city of Horta. The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, the Vice President, Artur Lima, and the other members of the Executive signed the document as a way of publicly reinforce the commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, declared by the United Nations, and with the sustainability of the azores tourist destination. The Azores Sustainability Charter is an initiative of the Regional Secretariat for Transport, Tourism and Energy and have already 155 subscribing entities, with more than 600 commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved. This initiative takes place in the same week that the Region receives the EarthCheck auditor, an entity certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), as part of the process of renewing the Silver level certification as a Sustainable Tourist Destination. The Azores thus prove to be a leading destination in sustainability and a reference in the adoption of measures that promote sustainable development in all areas of activity, in order to ensure a better quality of life for those who reside in the Region and a differentiating experience for those who visit us. Source: Jornal Açores 9