The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport stated in Ponta Delgada that the Azores have the potential to establish themselves a destination of excellence in international cycling, which will reinforce the Region as an active nature destination.
 
Vítor Fraga spoke at the presentation of the Azores MTB Marathon 2016, stressing that the event is included in "Cyclin'Azores." Developed by the Azores Cycling Association, this programme is supported by the Regional Government and involved more than 800 athletes in five events held on four islands of the archipelago.
 
The Regional Secretary stressed that these initiatives are part of a "strategic direction" taken by the Government of the Azores for cycling during this legislative period in order to "turn it into a true tourism product by seizing the potential" of the best the Region has to offer.
 
For Vítor Fraga, the Azores "may establish themselves in national and international cycling, namely in mountain biking, which has the potential to become a product of excellence."
 
In this regard, the government official highlighted the work developed in the creation of infrastructures and improvement of cycling activities, conveying his belief that this effort will "continue to be developed and, thus, contribute to the development of tourism in the Region."
 
According to him, the event will gather 700 to 800 people in the Region, bearing in mind that it will involve 400 athletes. This competition falls within the Government's strategy developed over the last four years, "contributing to the direct increase of tourism flows at a time when we are approaching the low season."
 
The Regional Secretary also pointed out the multiplier effect of this competition in the promotion of the archipelago, as demonstrated by the images depicting the Azorean landscape that will be disseminated during the media coverage of the event.
 
"The event promotes the Region among cycling enthusiasts and there are many of them throughout the world," Vítor Fraga said, adding that "they will certainly be one of the key elements in the promotion of the Azores and the increase of visitors, along with the experiences of those who will come here."
 
The Regional Secretary that the projection of the Region, in addition to attracting cycling practitioners, will also "contribute to the establishment of the Azores as an active nature destination that goes far beyond its contemplative component."
 
Vítor Fraga also highlighted the work carried out by the Azores Cycling Association in the scheduling of the event, which was organised in such as way to avoid the overlapping of activities. He also recalled that the competition will take place in the weekend after the Azores were, once again, considered as one the world's top 100 most sustainable destinations.
 
"Certainly cycling and, in this case, mountain biking is one of the tourism products that will continue to contribute to this sustainability," the government official stressed, adding that this sustainability should be maintained not only from an economic perspective but also from an economic and environmental perspective; the latter is the Region's key feature and its main asset as a tourism product.
 
"Tourism is only good if it is actually good for those who live here" the Regional Secretary stressed, adding that "we also want that tourism brings wealth generation and the creation and preservation of jobs so that, day after day, living in the Azores may become even better.