The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport announced that the Azores Tourism will carry out, together with the entities promoting events in the Region, the scheduling of all initiatives planned for 2014 by the end of September with the purpose of promoting them among the tour operators from the major tourist markets.

"The added value that we have at a cultural and musical level, such as the case of "Maré de Agosto" festival, should be used to promote the Azores in the main tourist markets, making this product available for the tour operators working in the Region." This effort "will actively contribute to the enhancement of the Region's tourism offer and increase tourism flows to the Region," stated Vítor Fraga, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the 29th edition of "Maré de Agosto" Festival on Santa Maria on Wednesday night.

For Vítor Fraga, "this is definitely a time when we have to focus our attention on what is essential." In this context, "the enhancement and qualification of the Region's tourism offer is fundamental to the tourism development of the Region."

"With the organisation of events such as this festival and other initiatives across the archipelago, we will be able to enhance our tourism offer and continue to increase tourism flows to our islands," Vítor Fraga said, calling for the need to "boost the potentialities" the Azores have to offer.

Accordingly, the government official considered that the "qualification and improvement of our tourism offer is fundamental."

According to the Regional Secretary, the "Maré de Agosto" Festival "embodies this spirit, not only in promoting domestic tourism, which is a fact known to all, but also in increasing tourism flows from outside the Region." The government official conveyed his belief that there is still "a great potential yet to be explored."

For Vítor Fraga, the "Maré de Agosto" Festival "has effectively become into one of the tourist attractions of the Azores." The Government of the Azores has joined this initiative over the years and "will certainly do it in the next edition, the 30th, which we expect to be a memorable one."