With the QualityCoast Award the Azores are now part of an European network of excellent coastal destinations. This award is attributed by the EUCC – The Coastal & Marine Union, by an international jury, to coastal communities that are proving and presenting good overall performance in sustainable development, providing transparent information to residents and visitors and also planning for future improvements.
At the flag-hoisting ceremony, yesterday in the city of Horta, the Regional Secretary for Environment and Sea, Álamo Meneses, took the chance to highlight “the important role of the Port Administrations, the maritime authority, the town hall, the fishers’ community and the Faial island citizens to the achievement of this award”. The Secretary also mentioned that this award requires “permanent attention, in order to maintain this title in the future, as we will be evaluated periodically”.
This is an independent certification of the coastal community performance and its tourism services which makes use of 20 QualityCoast criteria, divided into three categories: Nature, Environment and Socio-Economics. These categories provide a measure of the sustainability of coastal communities and of the quality of the information available.
The criteria assessed in the Nature category include, for instance, the presence of natural values, the availability of information sources and facilities that promote interaction with the natural local environment, the existence of green policies and quiet places for the visitors. Regarding Environment, some of the criteria are the bathing water quality, water and waste management, the existence of a policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and the adaptation to climate change. In what regards Socio-Economics, some of the assessed criteria were cultural heritage, valuable man-made landscapes and tradition, local identity, the appreciation level of tourists and safety.
The jury acknowledged the high quality of the application presented by the Azorean Government and enhanced the Government efforts in different sectors relevant to QualityCoast. It should be noted that the jury attributed to the Azores the assessment “Excellent” in two categories: Nature and Socio-Economics. Also remarkable is the fact that for “Territory and Tradition” the Azores received the maximum score, as a large area of the region is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list, which was highly valued by the international jury. Another decisive feature was the traditional tea plantations on São Miguel island.
The Azores also received the maximum score in the criterion “Natural Values”, as there are 12 RAMSAR sites in the Region, as well as 23 Natura 2000 Network sites and 3 Biosphere Reserve islands.