Regional Government receives award from European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Priolo Lands in Brussels - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, accompanied by the Regional Director for the Environment and Climate Action, Ana Rodrigues, attended the ceremony organised by the European Federation of National and Nature Parks - EUROPARC Federation, held at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday. They received the award for renewing the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in the Protected Areas (CETS) of Priolo Lands for 2024/2028.

According to Alonso Miguel, the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism distinguishes good practices in promoting sustainable tourism at environmental, cultural, social and economic levels in protected areas in more than 40 countries.

During the ceremony, the EUROPARC Federation highlighted the Priolo Lands CETS as a success story of the joint work between various partners in the sustainable management of the territory. In this context, Alonso Miguel was invited to present the good practices implemented in the Azores as an example for other European territories to follow.

The Priolo Lands, located in the municipalities of Nordeste and Povoação, São Miguel Island, were designated as such due to the importance of their habitats for the preservation of the Priolo ("Pyrrhula murina"), a species endemic to the eastern part of São Miguel Island.

In his speech, the government official explained that "as a result of the implementation of a wide range of nature conservation, environmental awareness and sustainable land use projects over the last few decades, it has been possible to recover the Priolo's conservation status."This species has transitioned from "critically endangered" to "vulnerable," based on the criteria set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"Therefore, it is important to continue this extraordinary work, which was decisive in recognising the Priolo Lands as a territory included in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism," continued Alonso Miguel.

The Priolo Lands were included in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in 2012.

"We were pleased to see that the renewal of the award for the next five years was unanimously approved by the members of the Board of Directors of the EUROPARC Federation," said the Regional Secretary.

The renewal of this certificate is the result of a joint effort, which began in 2022, led by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action. It involves various local stakeholders, such as hotel, restaurant and tourist entertainment companies, associations and non-governmental organisations linked to the environment, tourism, culture and social welfare, such as the SPEA - Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, the Azores  Microbial Observatory, the GeoAçores Association - Azores Geopark, the Furnas Social and Parish Centre and the Nordeste Municipal Centre for Cultural Activities. It also involved various government departments and local authorities, namely the Regional Directorate for Tourism, the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Spatial Planning and the Municipal Councils of Nordeste and Povoação.

"The preparation of the renewal process included a series of public participation actions and meetings of the local technical team to review and redefine the Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy in the Priolo Lands. Three forums were held to assess the results achieved in the implementation of the previous Action Plan,  promote public participation and prepare the new Action Plan for 2024-2028," said the Regional Secretary.

The new CETS Priolo Lands Action Plan represents an investment of about seven million Euros to be implemented over a five-year period by the different partners, with the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action allocating more than 2.1 million Euros.

The Plan contains 51 actions, divided into various areas of intervention, such as conserving natural and cultural heritage, promoting sustainable tourism, stimulating the local economy and social cohesion, maintaining infrastructures and accessibility, promoting and raising environmental awareness, training and empowering technical teams, and encouraging the reduction of the ecological footprint.

Alonso Miguel concluded that "the renewal of the award represents further international recognition of the work carried out in the Azores regarding the preservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage, with a view to sustainable development from an environmental, social and economic standpoint." In this regard, he reiterated the importance of consolidating the Priolo Lands as a sustainable tourism product, recognised for its differentiated hiking trails, events and themed itineraries, aimed at a wide audience, with a view to preserving and enhancing the natural and cultural heritage of this unique territory.