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The Certification of the Azores as a Sustainable Destination at the Top 5 of the National Tourism Award 2020

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The Regional Secretariat for Energy, Environment and Tourism has moved to the Top 5 of the National Tourism Award 2020, of Banco BPI, in the category of Sustainable Tourism, as the submission of the Azores’s Certification project as a Sustainable Tourist Destination. To encourage and recognize the best tourism projects in the face of the consequences of the pandemic and the future of the sector, Expresso and BPI launched the second edition of the National Tourism Award 2020. A project created with the aim of promoting, encouraging and distinguishing the best entities, practices and projects in the tourism sector. An initiative that has the high sponsorship of the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition, with the institutional support of Turismo de Portugal, IP and with the technical support of Deloitte Corporate Finance, S.A, as a Knowledge Partner. In this second edition of the National Tourism Award, it is intended to reward Portuguese businesses / projects that stand out as success stories, framed in the categories of Network Tourism, Authentic Tourism, Trust Tourism, Smart Tourism and Sustainable Tourism.

Azores are once again part of the TOP 100 of Sustainable Destinations

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The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism revealed today that the Azores are once again included in the TOP 100 list of Sustainable Destinations by Green Destinations. “It is recognitions like this that make us continue this path towards sustainability with more strength and more enthusiasm,” said Marta Guerreiro. “I cannot fail to show pride and satisfaction for receiving, once again, this acknowledgment, which places the Azores at a high promotional level regarding to sustainability issues, which we strive for and are recognized for”, stressed the titleholder of the Tourism wallet. The official emphasized that, since last year, the Azores have been certified as a Sustainable Tourist Destination, being the only archipelago in the world and the only region in the country with this distinction, considering that “this was a work, not always visible, of the last years , with very positive consequences, especially in the times we are currently experiencing”. “We have seen a reconfiguration of the tourism sector, but in this matter, the Azores anticipated a set of actions and measures”, said the Regional Secretary. “We must be proud to be leading this path of sustainable development in tourism”, said Marta Guerreiro, reinforcing, however, that “a destination with sustainability certification can never consider that its work is finished and that is why we are in the second year of the certification process, starting now to win the Gold Award for Sustainable Destination by EarthCheck, the certifying destinations entity”. “EarthCheck is governed by strict criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, that is, with the United Nations seal, which attests to the quality of its action and our certification as a Sustainable Tourist Destination”, she emphasized. “The aim of the Azores is to maintain this strategic positioning and to continue to affirm the Region as a world reference of destination, effectively, sustainable”, she guaranteed. According to the governor, “it is important to be more and more ambitious and continue to work to reach the highest levels of this certification”. With this TOP 100, Green Destinations recognizes and presents stories of sustainable tourism and its good practices as inspiring examples for other Destinations, for tour operators and for travelers. The TOP 100 list of sustainable destinations can be accessed at: https://greendestinations.org/sustainabletop100/ In 2020, Green Destinations had already distinguished the Azores in the ‘Best of Nature’ category, in 2019 in the ‘Best of Europe’ category, as one of the regions that contributed to Portugal being awarded, and in 2018, in the category ‘Best of the Atlantic’. Since 2012, the archipelago has also been awarded by the Quality Coast, a Green Destinations program, and since 2014 it has been a platinum destination, the highest level of this award, which distinguishes the best practices from sustainable destinations. Green Destinations is a non-profit foundation for the development and recognition of sustainable destinations, leading a global partnership of representatives, specialized organizations and academic institutions.

Certification as a Sustainable Destination is a “continuous process” and a “leadership commitment”

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The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism mentioned today that the certification of the Azores as a Sustainable Tourist Destination is a “continuous process” and a “commitment to leadership, by example and responsibility for the future”. According to Marta Guerreiro, “This is a process that does not end. In fact, it is a continuous process that has to involve an even broader set of entities and citizens, increasingly aware of the responsibility of raising the name Azores to the highest standards of sustainability”. The Regional Secretary spoke at the opening of the Consultative Committee for the Sustainability of the Azores Tourist Destination, which meets at least once a year, as part of the monitoring of the certification process of the Azores as a Sustainable Destination, by the certifying entity EarthCheck. This consultative group is composed of public, associative and private entities, representing their directly interests related to the Sustainability of the Azores Tourist Destination. This session presented a review of the process and the respective status of the certification achieved in 2019, as well as the progress of the actions of the 2020-2027 Action Plan. Marta Guerreiro referred that “this was a process that involved a lot of work, not always visible, where we received high praise from the certifying entity”. Among some of the strengths mentioned by EarthCheck, the holder of the Azores Tourism sector highlighted “the organizational structure of destination management, made up of this Advisory Committee, Monitoring Groups and Green Teams from all islands, which allowed the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders”, but also the Sustainability Charter, the communication strategy, and the effort collecting evidence and organizing the requested documentation. “For all these strengths, the auditors congratulated the Region for being the first time they identified so little non-conformities in a first audit of a destination”, emphasized Marta Guerreiro. According to the Regional Secretary, due to the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, this certification is the proof that “the Azores have made a unique path in the development of this activity, anticipating a set of organization and planning work in favor of the territory and the sector, lined up with the measures that are now required of all world’s tourist destinations ”. “We are an example of good practices in this area, with a rich international notoriety, because we developed a complete work in line with international sustainability”, she reinforced, recalling that the Azores are the only archipelago in the world and the only region in the country with this distinction. “More than a policy, it is a responsibility towards the future”, referred the Regional Secretary, assuring that “sustainability is an approach that must be present in all human activity, from business to political decisions, from social to environmental interactions”. Marta Guerreiro also stated that “achieving a sustainable future means being able to overcome a set of complex challenges, which can only be achieved through cooperation and partnerships, with the collective awareness of the impacts of our behavior”, appealing to the involvement of an “increasing range of local and international players”. The Azores Tourism Association (ATA), Portugal Hotels Association (AHP), Portugal’s Hotel, Restaurant and Similar Association (AHRESP), Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT), University of the Azores, Azorean Institute of Culture, Agricultural Federation of the Azores and security and protection entities were some of the members that made their contributions, giving their testimony of what they are carrying out in their areas, and showing total availability to continue to be the dynamic agents of the sector. More information on the certification of the Azores as a Sustainable Tourist Destination can be obtained athttps://sustainable.azores.gov.pt/

Azores launches a non-reusable packaging deposit system in all municipalities

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The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism said that, in 2021, 25 reverse logistics machines will be installed, ensuring at least one piece of equipment per municipality, implementing a non-reusable packaging deposit system in the Azores, covering plastic, glass and metal, with a capacity of up to 2.5 liters. The system includes an incentive to the consumer per returned package, which is expected to be around 5 cents regardless of the material or its size. “As a mechanism to encourage returns, the prizes can be credited by card, physical or virtual (electronic application), without the issue of paper coupons, and can be redeemed, in cash, at RIAC stores”, was explained. Marta Guerreiro, who spoke at Horta at the presentation of the project, added that “in deposit systems that are installed by commercial establishments, the consumer premium may be awarded via a coupon or a discount card for purchases, discounts on store, products, or activities or services, among others ”. In addition to the public system, it is intended that commercial establishments will be able to make their own non-reusable beverage packaging equipment available on their premises, at least for those whose main structural component is plastic. “It is anticipated that about 10 more pieces of equipment can be installed in the areas with the highest population concentration, specifically in large commercial areas,” she said. According to Marta Guerreiro, “one of the first actions of the project involves the characterization of the initial situation in the sense of defining the exact location of the equipment”, in a system that will have centralized management, allowing to monitor the quantities received and issue alerts regarding the levels filling and malfunctions. Within the scope of the project, various dissemination, awareness and training actions will be promoted, in what is yet another measure that will “make the population aware of the need for the separation of waste and its proper routing, promote the circular economy, increase the quantity and quality of packaging collected and sent for recycling and contributing to the respective goals ”. The project represents an investment of 941 thousand euros, 90% reimbursed by the European Economic Area (EEA) Grants – program “Environment, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy” and has an execution period of about 18 months. .

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Rehabilitation centers in the Azores have already received almost a thousand wild birds

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The Regional Director for the Environment, Hernâni Jorge, revealed today, outside the action of returning to the natural environment of the kite bird (Buteo buteo rothschildi), at Quinta de São Lourenço, which, since the beginning of the implementation of the network in the Archipelago, the Wild Bird Rehabilitation Centers (CERAS-Açores) have already received a total of 945 individuals, of different species. The reintroduction of the bird of prey in the wild took place after a period of treatment at the Wild Birds Rehabilitation Center of Pico, which allowed it to recover from the injuries on one of the legs, resulting from captivity in captivity, when rescued by a team of Nature Watchers, on May 8, in the parish of Flamengos, where it was also released. On the occasion, Hernâni Jorge, took the opportunity to “condemn the behavior of those – fortunately, less and less – who do not respect nature and biodiversity”, adding that “since the kite bird is a priority protected species, its capture or detention in captivity constitutes a serious environmental offense, punishable by a fine of between 2,000 to 20,000 euros, in case of negligence, or 4,000 to 40,000 euros, in case of intent “. See more.

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 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.