The Government of the Azores is committed to supporting the growth of diving tourism in the Azores and, therefore, will reinforce the promotion and the support to the investment in the sector.

The assurance was given today by the Regional Director for Tourism, who spoke at the opening session of the 2nd Underwater Tourism Biennale, to which he presided over on behalf of the President of the Regional Government, that is taking place in Santa Cruz da Graciosa from today until Sunday, a forum that he considered to be very important.

Miguel Cymbron said that the promotional effort will be mainly developed with the participation in fairs and in other specialty forums, such as the Barcelona and Paris boat shows and through activities to familiarise tourism operators and journalists.

The Regional Director reminded that nautical tourism is regarded by analysts as a sector with a great growth potential in coming years, thereby being conisdered by Turismo de Portugal as “one of the 10 strategic products to restructure the national tourism offer.”

With regard to nature tourism, which is the main area of the tourism offer in the Azores, Miguel Cymbron highlighted the importance of nautical activities and particularly of diving, stressing that this sector has proved to be “profitable” over the last decade and that the Azores may enhance this dynamics, given the privileged location between the European and American continents, which offers unique conditions for this activity at a national level.”

The Regional Director acknowledged that underwater tourism has increasingly developed in the Region with “the existing operations to catch up with high standards” and with quality diving centres which “in addition to offering traditional recreational diving also offer technical diving , therefore contributing to the promotion of the sector.   

“We believe that through joint efforts between institutions and businesspeople, with the creation of centres of excellence we may clearly consider the Azores as a diving destination at a European level,” concluded Miguel Cymbron.

The 2nd Underwater Tourism Biennale is an initiative of the “Associação Graciosense de Promoção de Eventos” (AGRAPROME) in partnership with the Regional Tourism Association (ART), counting upon the support of the Government of the Azores and of the Santa Cruz da Graciosa Town Hall.

The main objectives of the meeting are the promotion of the Azores as a diving destination and the debate on relevant issues for the sector in areas such as Tourism and Diving, Marine Reserves, Health and Safety, Trade and Services in Diving and Entrepreneurship.

In the context of the 2nd Biennale, underwater photography exhibitions by Nuno Sá and Luís Quinta and a painting exhibition by Margarida Madruga are open to the public.