The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism revealed today in Horta that the Azores were the region chosen to hold the 7th APECATE Congress - Portuguese Association of Congress, Tourism Animation and Event Companies that will take place on the island of Faial between January 30 and February 1, 2019.
 
The event will focus on the theme "Portugal from fashion to consolidation. Paths and challenges." It will gather in the Azores about 200 participants from the national market and the different areas that make up APECATE, including entrepreneurs, journalists and opinion leaders.
 
"This is another important moment in the 2019 agenda, as it will promote training and qualification of tourism entertainment and event promotion companies. Moreover, it will also foster their development and internationalisation, namely in attracting business opportunities," said Marta Guerreiro, who spoke at the presentation of the event. According to her, this congress "will also be an exceptional opportunity to promote the Azores, taking into account the special profile of participants as well as the media coverage of the event, with the participation of journalists from the sector."
 
For the Regional Secretary, "the development of the tourism offer is in line with the strategy developed for the sector. Along with the prominence we have already achieved as a safe place with mystical beauty capable of providing unique experiences that has economic, cultural, social and environmental sustainability concerns, we have also managed to leverage the business tourism segment, through policies that favour the organisation of events in the Azores."
 
Marta Guerreiro stressed that APECATE's decision to choose the Azores "is another demonstration that the archipelago is consolidating its work in the context of the "Meeting Industry" product. With this event, participating entities recognise the specificities and positive aspects of choosing the Azores as the venue for their most relevant initiatives."
 
The Regional Secretary reiterated that the Azores are not, and do not want to be, a mass destination. As she highlighted, there is "enough room for growth through potential markets and these efforts are still ongoing. They include the participation in actions intended to promote the Azores destination and the implementation of policies privileging the organisation of events, such as one announced today, which bring effective promotional and flow-generating return, particularly in the congress segment."
 
"This is a path we believe that will be fruitful to our Region, positioning it as a privileged venue that welcomes those who know how to recognise our potential," said the government official.
 
In her speech, Marta Guerreiro also pointed out that the Region "continues to grow in the main tourism indicators," stressing that, regarding overnight stays, one cannot "solely consider traditional hotel management, which is managing its positioning between volume of guests and price."
 
Regarding revenue, the Regional Secretary said that "we have also grown on already significant growths. Even in the summer, when the hotel offer is usually less available, we continue to reach consecutive records." In this context, she also highlighted the role of agents in the sector "for being on the ground, with commitment and dedication," thus contributing to the development of the Azores destination.