The President of the Government announced today the beginning of the certification process of the Azores as a sustainable destination by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, a "good challenge" that will only succeed if it involves several public and private entities of the sector.
 
"We will start the certification process of the Azores as a sustainable destination, according to the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council," said Vasco Cordeiro. This is a non-governmental organisation that congregates several entities, including several United Nations agencies.
 
The President of the Government spoke in Lagoa at the opening session of the International Conference "Azores 2017: Towards Sustainable Tourism," an event promoted by the Regional Government featuring hundreds of registered participants. It is being attended by regional, national and international organisations.
 
"Currently, there are only four countries bearing this certification and only nine regions bearing this certification. So far, no archipelago has been distinguished with this certification. Nevertheless, this is a good goal, a good investment and, above all, is a good challenge that should mobilise everyone," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.
 
According to him, this certification process of the Azores as a sustainable destination is an effort that requires the involvement of several entities and that "will only result if everyone does their part well, which will benefit all."
 
At the beginning of this two-day conference, where the Charter of Sustainability of the Azores will be signed, Vasco Cordeiro warned that this idea of tourism sustainability will have to involve environmental, economic and social components.
 
"There are three components to be taken into account in this idea of sustainability: the economic sustainability of the activity itself, which calls for an intervention on the part of public entities and entrepreneurs, environmental sustainability, which is quite evident, and social sustainability within the activity itself, which is the relation between various players," said the President of the Government.
 
According to Vasco Cordeiro, this social sustainability component is one of the areas to which the Government pays more attention, bearing in mind its importance in ensuring that this sector will provide an active contribution to the development of the Region.
 
In his speech delivered at the opening session, the President of the Government also considered that the challenge of tourism sustainability in the Azores will be only overcome if the Government, entrepreneurs, residents and visitors are guided to jointly develop the measures and behaviours to ensure that this concept truly becomes an asset for the Azores.
 
"What gathers us here is our own interest, i.e., the interest of the Azores in this component of sustainable tourism," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.