The Regional Director for Tourism stressed today in Ponta Delgada the need to ensure the quality of the regional network of pedestrian trails "either in terms of landscape and environmental concerns or in terms of safety."

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting of the Monitoring Commission for Pedestrian Trails, João Bettencourt emphasised that the current situation of the regional network of pedestrian trails is being assessed since some trails were closed due to landslides that occurred as a result of a harsh winter, "which requires some changes in these trails."

According to the Regional Director, there is a "joint effort being carried out by the departments of Tourism and Environment of the Regional Government in order to maintain and re-open these trails for tourists visiting the Region, particularly those located on São Miguel, being the island with more pedestrian trails" in the archipelago.

João Bettencourt also said that today's meeting may also decide the final closure of "some trails that do not meet the necessary safety conditions," either because they were cut by the construction works of the toll-free roads or because they are closer to other trails and should be merged into a single trail.

Furthermore, the government official stressed that due to the bad weather conditions in the winter, the maintenance and change of several pedestrian trails is being carried out on the island of Flores "in order to ensure the quality of pedestrian trails on that island."

"The Regional Government of the Azores considers pedestrian trails as a fundamental product, not only for tourists, but also for the Azoreans who enjoy hiking," João Bettencourt stressed, revealing that "all trails should have the necessary conditions to welcome visitors" by the beginning of the high season.

The Regional Director also revealed that the electronic address http://www.trails-azores.com/, which provides information on the trails of the archipelago, is currently under renovation. A new version of this website is estimated to be released by the end of this month "with a new image, new information and regular updates."

Currently, there are one hundred trails approved in the Azores, being one of the most sought-after products by tourists visiting the region.