The same price, new advantages. This is how the Interjovem Card 2010/2011 was presented during the statutory visit of the Regional Government to Santa Maria, which will be available in the archipelago starting on Friday.
The presentation was made by the Regional Secretary of the Presidency, who was accompanied by the Regional Director for Youth. André Bradford wanted to stress “the satisfaction of the Azorean Government in the re-launching of this project which is a key instrument in the promotion of youth mobility and tourism in the Azores, and to do so on Santa Maria is very important as this island is directly associated to the very start of this project.”
For the Regional Secretary of the Presidency “it is a fact that nowadays the Interjovem Card provides youngsters with the possibility to discover and become better acquainted with the reality of the Azorean archipelago, which is much easier than it was a decade ago. This is due to the brand image of this Card in addition to the fact the inter-island maritime passenger transport has been boosted. Both have promoted this mobility process. By uniting the Azores through youth and Azorean youngsters, we will be able to bring them closer and to overcome the geographical discontinuity that characterises our land.”
But this year, the Interjovem programme aims to bring innovation and not a simple tool to enhance mobility; for that reason the Regional Government has sought new partnerships and a new range of services. The access to cultural assets, tourism and leisure activities, education has been improved as well as the access to telecommunications and financial services. Innovation will be carried out by the new strategic partners of this project, such as BES-Açores and Portugal Telecom, with which protocols were at the presentation ceremony. The skill and experience of these two institutions in the economic sector has reinforced the work that the regional executive has been developing in this area.
The Interjovem Card is a bestseller. It started as something with 4000 users; nowadays it reaches over 12 000 users and the trend is ever increasing. The Government and the new strategic partners estimate the possibility of reaching the double of users.
According to André Bradford, “in this project we also count on the support of other partners, which are located all over the archipelago, which range from small to larger companies. All of them were essential to boost this project which counts on nearly 200 partner organisations that collaborate with the Interjovem Card, providing advantages in the acquisition of goods, services and products.”
With regard to inter-island mobility, the Interjovem Card has undergone some changes this year. The first concerns the fact that its validity will be extended beyond the summer season, ending in October 2010 in the maritime routes of the Central Group which are operated by Transmaçor, that is, the card holder may benefit from discounts in trips to Faial, Pico and São Jorge during the winter season.
The Government has also decided, for the first time since the card was created, to raise the price of inter-island maritime fares, which cost one Euro. “In order to ensure the self-sustainability of the project and to strengthen self-funding, it was necessary to set a new price to improve the management of the Interjovem Card and assure the growth of this initiative. Therefore, the Regional Secretary of the Presidency decided to raise the fare to five Euros, which is still a low price in comparison to its actual cost. This new price ensures the sustainable management of this initiative as well as the provision of a wider range of services without raising the price of the Interjovem Card. While one might think that is a significant increase, the amount is compatible with the youth living standard and, hence, we do not consider that this new stipulated amount represents a significant increase.”
The Interjovem card is addressed at youngsters aged between 13 and 30. It may be acquired at the price of 48 Euros. In addition to the aforementioned advantages, the card holders may also benefit from discounts in the following festivals: “Maré de Agosto,” Azure, PDL Summer Fest and “Festas da Praia.” These discounts also include the Youth Hostels of the Azores (the managing entity of the project), shows at the Teatro Micaelense, some municipal pools, the Vila Franca Water Park and various partner shops.