The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism announced in Ponta Delgada that the Regional Government, together with IPDT - Institute for Tourism Planning and Development, promotes a training programme aimed at building a culture of service under the designation of "Azores Welcome."
 
"It is a fact that we are already known for our hospitality, but we can and should strive to work more on this area," said Marta Guerreiro, who spoke during the signing of a protocol with IPDT for the implementation of the programme. On the occasion, she added that the "challenge continues to focus on qualification, especially of human resources, as it is one of the greatest requirements to enhance the projection of the Azores."
 
The Secretary for Tourism stressed that the programme "will be an asset to help building a culture of service and hospitality in the Region," stating that the "Azores Welcome" Guide will be prepared under this programme to be later disseminated among the Azorean trade."
 
"The guide will be developed following the organisation of various 'Azores Welcome' workshops. These initiatives are intended to reach various sectors such as tourist activities, restaurants, hotels or tour guides in all councils of the archipelago, where they are expected to involve about seven hundred participants," said the government official.
 
According to Marta Guerreiro, "both the Guide and the workshops will be essential tools to understand what distinguishes us and makes us unique as well as the level of our quality of service. They will focus on contents related to customer satisfaction and complaint management, and the definition of tourism service standards in the Azores."
 
The Regional Secretary highlighted the "close work" between the Regional Government and IPDT as "an institution of high credibility with national and international recognition." In this regard, she pointed out some actions planned until 2020 will include "counselling as well as the preparation of awareness campaigns and programmes."
 
Regarding PEMTA - Strategic and Marketing Plan of the Azores Tourism, Marta Guerreiros added that it safeguards "the maintenance of communication follow-up and advisory services. As for sustainability issues, it will further develop this theme, evidencing the sustainability policies pursued by the managing body responsible for the sustainable certification process of our destination."
 
There is an action plan focused on social sustainability in several areas: the relation between the local community and tourists, the promotion of inclusive tourism policies, cultural sustainability by increasing the offer of activities and promoting traditions, environmental sustainability based on the protection of natural resources, and awareness-raising for energy and economic efficiency. The plan is primarily intended to foster new and better employment opportunities, which are also better paid.
 
"Still on PEMTA, the planned actions include the monitoring of their implementation so that we may perceive the direction of the Azores Tourism strategy regarding its new challenges and priorities in view of the work proposed and developed between 2017 and 2020," added the government official.
 
IPDT will support the definition of methodologies for the implementation of tools from a series of studies and analyses of data intended to monitor PEMTA. In turn, the Azores Tourism Observatory and the Azores Regional Statistics Service will be responsible for the operation of these tools.
 
"All of them are mainly focused on quality and people," Marta Guerreiro assured, noting that the "development of tourism can only be positive if figures show it and if those living in the Azores benefit from its positive results."