The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport revealed that, through the partnership signed today with Google, the Azores Destination will reach 200 million potential tourists over the next three years.
 
"This partnership will be fundamental to promote our visibility among our key markets in terms of our position in these markets and the increase of tourism flows to the islands," said Vítor Fraga. The Regional Secretary spoke at the Ribeira Grande in the signing of the ceremony of the strategic partnership between the Government of the Azores and Google.
 
In his speech, the Regional Secretary stressed that this partnership agreement "meets the strategic goals set by the Strategic Plan and Marketing of the Azores Tourism. It comprises the promotion of the Azores in the Google platforms in order to leverage the promotion of the Azores Destination and enhance the use of the tools that already exist and those yet to be developed, guiding the promotion of the Azores towards digital channels; the latter includes the collaborative Google platforms such as Adwords."
 
The cooperation plan brings to the Azores "new opportunities through the promotion of tourism, while strengthening the focus on the modernisation of the regional administration's information technology infrastructures," added the government official.
 
Vítor Fraga also noted that, for the Government of the Azores, "the establishment of this collaboration with one of the world technology leaders will improve all the work the Regional Government has been developing in its digitalisation process, contributing to the accomplishment of its goals and put the Region at the forefront of digital leadership. It seizes the opportunity of the huge knowledge of their comprehensive team with considerable experience in this type of projects.
 
With this partnership, the Azores take "another step to provide all Azoreans with the means and tools that allow them to feel that they are effectively living in the 'Digital and Technology Age' and in a Region that is at the forefront of digital transformation."
 
"This partnership arises because the Regional Government believes that our islands will be able, through digital processing, to lead the modernisation of the public administration's internal processes and become a case study regarding the implementation of good practices in 'e-government' and digital marketing applied to tourism," said the Regional Secretary.
 
Through this strategic partnership agreement, the Regional Government also creates the conditions so that the "triple certification" of regional educational institutions may become a reality, since it is also includes the implementation of a Google Skills Centre in the Region, through which, students and graduates may acquire skills in several Google products.
 
"We want our young people have tools that allow them, on the one hand, compete with what is done in the world and, secondly, to the possibility of contributing to the creation of value in the companies where they work or will work" Vítor Fraga stressed.
 
"We are different, it is true. But we mark the difference because we want to and we will be at the forefront of technological growth, combined with our unique and singular tourism offer and the development of skills of our young people. We stand out because 'We are the Azores,'" said the Regional Secretary.