The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport said today that the development of Tourism depends on "measures and policies" that ensure the sustainability of this activity and, subsequently, the "sustainability of companies that are directly or indirectly related to this sector."

"In the context of these measures, air transport is, as might be expected, the fundamental and irreplaceable pillar of accessibility to any destination, particularly to the Azores as an island region," said Vítor Fraga. The government official spoke at the closing session of the 2014 Tourism Forum, an initiative promoted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ponta Delgada.
In his speech, Vítor Fraga recalled the process concerning the revision of Public Service Obligations for Air Transport and its entry into force in the beginning of the next IATA summer.

"The Government of the Azores looks forward to this moment, as we know that will certainly bring new opportunities in terms of attracting new market segments, which can provide a significant contribution to the increase of tourism flows to our Region," said the government official.

Moreover, Vítor Fraga stressed that this model will bring "great challenges to Grupo SATA." However, he assured that, following the agreement with the National Government, the Regional Government "is fully available to support this air company as a shareholder and within the rules of this new model. The regional airliner has still an important role to play in the development and progress of our Region."

Given that air transport "plays a key role in the development of Azores Tourism," it is also necessary that all partners, either public or private entities, become aware that the challenges in this sector are not limited to this issue.

"The enhancement of the regional tourism offer, through the creation of differentiating factors highlighting the uniqueness of each of our islands is essential for our promotion as a unique tourist destination that cannot be directly compared to many other destinations," defended the Regional Secretary.
 
"We must know how to sell the Azores destination not only in tourism markets, but also in the domestic market by consolidating a criterion that we can never neglect: quality," added the government official.

"This criterion and the permanent capacity to perceive the changing trends of demand is what truly makes a difference in the destinations that were able to succeed, especially when we have to comply with European criteria and quality patterns, one of the most demanding in the world," stressed Vítor Fraga.

 According to the Regional Secretary, there is still "room for improvement in terms of the quality of services" provided to those who visit the Azores. He stressed that this area deserves attention and ongoing efforts, particularly in the quality of several services provided to tourists, whether they are directly or indirectly related to the sector.

In this regard, the government official mentioned that hospitality is "synonymous with economic development, wealth generation as well as with the preservation and creation of jobs."

In 2015, the Government of the Azores will allocate 22.6 million Euros for the promotion and development of the Azores Destination. The main priorities set for this sector are the following: enhance the visibility of the destination among the main tourism markets, increase tourism flows to the Region, promote the diversification of the regional tourism offer and improve its quality on a continuous base.