DiscoverAzores.eu grew by over 25% during quarantine

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It took a pandemic for the registrations of Azorean artists on the www.discoverazores.eu platform to grow significantly. “During the past 4 weeks, we had 160 registrations on the platform” announces Terry Costa, the artistic director of the MiratecArts association, based in the island of Pico. With a total of 660 artists from digital art, visual arts, performance, literature, cinema & video, traditional arts and music, which currently leads the entries, the MiratecArts website and programming have been catalysts in creating synergies between artists from several islands and also between foreigners and locals. “There are hundreds more artists on our 9 islands, in addition to the Azoreans and Azoreans who live outside the islands, who can join” adds Terry Costa, “the website is open to all and all creatives in artistic culture.” Entering the platform, filling in your information, creates a promotional page that connects to the world on the Internet. And, in a final click on “register me” it gives you access to MiratecArts opportunities and also e-news with tips for the world of arts beyond the Azores. “After registering, it is with each person what they want to do and how to participate” explains Terry Costa. “On average, we have had around 10% of employees participating annually, some through festivals, others through the programs we created online, others with inter-island collaborations and still others who should be satisfied just because they are part of the platform, because we never hear from them again. MiratecArts is what our employees want. We will see what it will be like after that quarantine. ” The www.discoverazores.eu platform was MiratecArts’ first project, launched in 2012, with the aim of promoting the internationalization of Azorean art. After the first campaign, it was discovered that much more work was needed at home, in the region, and that was where the Azores Fringe Festival was born in 2013, where artists can use it as a showcase for their work. Competitions and participation in international fairs have also taken place, promoting the Azores with art and artists, supported by the Regional Department of Tourism. Source: Tribuna das Ilhas

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Government of the Azores marks World Wetlands Day on all islands

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The Regional Secretariat for Energy, Environment and Tourism, through the Regional Directorate for the Environment, will carry out various environmental awareness and education activities on all the islands, as part of the celebrations of World Wetlands Day, to be celebrated on February 2 and this year is dedicated to the theme “Biodiversity and Wetlands”.

Marta Guerreiro says that “people” are the “main asset” in a sector like tourism

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Inglês The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stated that “the main asset” in a sector such as tourism is “the people”, so it is important to focus on training and valuing the careers associated with it. Marta Guerreiro stated the importance of entrepreneurs being “by our side”, giving as an example the award, by Bensaude Turismo, for the best student of Tourism degree in 2019 from the University of the Azores. Marta Guerreiro spoke in Ponta Delgada, in the award presentation to the student Natacha Pinto, in the context of the event “Azores: towards sustainability” “These awards represent the awareness our entrepreneurs of the current challenges of tourism, valuing those who will be future professionals in the sector” she said. According to the Secretary, “one of our main challenges today has to do with the qualification of the destination, as it be services and infrastructures, but especially with human resources”, where “continuous training and updating are indispensable”, beyond the focus on initial training”. “We can only speak of good growth if tourism continues to play an increasingly important role in the region’s economy, not only in terms of output but also in terms of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities”, she added. At the time, the Regional Secretary presented an evolution of the sector numbers, with Azores being, since 2015, “one of the regions of the country that has recorded the highest growth in total overnight stays and traditional hotel revenues, successively breaking records never before reached.” In addition to statistics, Marta Guerreiro noted the various awards and distinctions awarded to the Region that attest the sustainable development of the archipelago, highlighting the steps of the certification process of the Azores as a sustainable destination. “This certification will also ensure a reinforcement of the international strategic positioning and notoriety of the Azores tourist destination, aligning it with a growing international awareness of consumers, already well visible in the new generations and their ability to influence others”, she said. Regarding the profile of the tourist visiting the Azores, Marta Guerreiro focused on “the significant growth of tourist flows of new generations, aligned with the current tourist positioning of the Azores”, seeking products of active nature, tranquility, relaxation, high level of sustainability, appreciation of cultural immersion and preference for nature accommodation.

Marta Guerreiro points out the importance of the GSTC Annual Congress at Terceira Island.

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The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism pointed out today the importance of the Annual Congress of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which will take place at Angra do Heroísmo Cultural and Congress Center, on Terceira Island, from 4-7 December. Marta Guerreiro called for the participation of the sector’s agents, pointing out that “this is a very important moment for tourism in the Azores because it is one of the biggest international events on sustainable development”. “We want it to be a moment of sharing, debate and reflection, not only on this issue at international level, but especially at regional level, taking into account the ongoing process of certification of the Azores as a Sustainable Tourist Destination”, she stated. According to the Secretary “about 150 participants are expected” at a congress that she considered to be a “unique opportunity to project the Azores into the international sustainability scene, reinforcing the internal recognition of the potential that the Region can have as a sustainable tourist destination”. Under the theme ‘Navigating the Way Forward in Sustainable Tourism’, the congress will focus on areas such as ‘Smart & Sustainable Destination Management’, ‘Market Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Products’ and ‘Is Tourism Responding to Climate Change?’. “We believe this will probably be one of the best GSTC congresses, bringing together a number of speakers from around the world who stand out for their relevance to their positions,” said Marta Guerreiro, pointing as an example EarthCheck CEO, Stewart Moore, Innovation Norway consultant, Ingunn Sornes, and TUI Sustainability Office Director, Jane Ashton. The program of the event can be consulted athttps://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc2019/program/ Registrations for Azores’ residents can be made through the email addresshttps://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc2019/azorean-registration/. Holders of the Miosótis award, as well as holders of GSTC-accredited and/or recognized certification schemes, have access to an additional discount. Marta Guerreiro was talking, in the context of the visit to Terceira Island, on the sidelines of the visit to the tourist resort ‘Casa das Cinco’. “This is another excellent example of qualifying our offer,” said the Regional Secretary, adding that ‘Casa das Cinco’ was a former Fiscal Guard House that was transformed into a ‘picturesque tourist house’ with a ‘great location’, close to the sea and Angra do Heroísmo, a World Heritage city”.

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Azores trust to obtain the certification as a sustainable tourist destination by the end of the year

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The regional secretary of Energy, Environment and Tourism of the Government of the Azores said today that the executive is working so that by the end of the year the region can be awarded with the certification as a sustainable tourism destination. “We are working hard to make this possible,” said Marta Guerreiro, indicating that an audit by the certification entity is expected later this month. The responsible for the tourism sector in the Azorean archipelago spoke to journalists after meeting in Ponta Delgada, the Advisory Committee for the Sustainability of the Azores Tourist Destination. This committee, which met today for the first time, aims to monitor, analyze, debate, issue opinions and make recommendations on the certification process, on the implementation of planning, management and monitoring tools, as well as monitoring the activity of the Board of Sustainability Management of the Azores Tourist Destination. As part of this certification process, the Azores already have the bronze status of ‘EarthCheck’, a certifying entity for sustainable tourist destinations. Regarding the audit, the Regional Secretary of Tourism stated that “she will evaluate a huge set of indicators for the region that have been collected over the last three years, ranging from environmental issues, but also social issues such as unemployment rates or issues, which will be analyzed in a first phase in the office”. Subsequently, the auditors will be present on three islands for field visits to infrastructure and business contacts. Marta Guerreiro said that today the partners were presented with an action plan containing a set of very practical measures, a document that is available on the Internet and “a tool that identifies and defines the measures to be implemented in the short, medium and long term”. According to Marta Guerreiro, throughout this process, “a huge set of indicators applicable to sustainability requirements, which are not so environmental, but also social, economic and cultural” was made, a huge set of initiatives, from the Sustainability Charter, which has over 80 subscribers, school actions and workgroups per island. Marta Guerreiro highlighted “two major areas of importance” for the Azores to obtain this certification, “the first of all is a matter of responsibility”, underlining the responsibility for the “environmental legacy” and “fantastic cultural” of the archipelago. “It is also an excellent opportunity because it places us and positions us as a region that we want to promote in the world as a reference in terms of sustainability,” she said.

Pico vineyard culture landscape distinguished with international award

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Pico Island’s vineyard landscape has been awarded first prize in the “Best Development of a European Landscape of Cultural Relevance” category at the European Garden Awards. The landscape, which has been protected since 1996, and was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2004, was recognized this Friday by the European Garden Awards as “Best Development of a Cultural Landscape of European Relevance”, a category that awards interventions that “promote the safeguarding of natural and cultural values ​​and the qualification of relevant cultural landscapes, contributing to the revitalization of territory”, explains the note of the Azorean executive. Receiving the award, was at the ceremony held at the Schloss Dick Foundation in Dusseldorf, Germany, the director of the Pico Natural Park and the Technical Office of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture Landscape, Manuel Paulino Costa. The “exceptional example of adapting farming practices to a demanding environment” through “actions that protect geodiversity, biodiversity and cultural heritage and promote integrated architecture” motivated the organization to distinguish the vineyard landscape of Pico Island , which spans over 700 hectares. The vineyards are grown in small stone corrals that protect the grapes from wind and salt, in a tradition dating back to the 15th century, reaching a peak of production in the 19th century, before being abandoned due to diseases that affected crops and crops. desertification of the island. Cited in a press release, the President of the Azores Regional Government, Vasco Cordeiro, highlights the strategy that has enabled, “preserving and safeguarding the environment, mobilizing one of the main assets to help the development of our region.” The European Garden Awards are awarded every two years by the European Garden Heritage Network (EHGN), a network of partners from 14 countries. The selection by an international jury evaluates innovative implementation and management in urban development, sustainability and quality of services to visitors.