- Licensing of Tourism Infrastructures

Graciosa Island hosts second edition of Azores Trails Fest until October 7
Recognition of Gastronomic Heritage was main theme of World Tourism Day in the Azores
1st Renewal Forum of European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS) of Priolo Lands 2023
The nine islands that make up the Azores Archipelago have distinctively different landscapes and a rich environmental, natural and cultural heritage.
They represent a true paradise for nature-lovers and those who enjoy active holidays. The existing range of activities on offer, which include golf, whale watching, hiking, big game fishing and diving, combined with quality hotels and rural tourism accommodation, facilities for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) and for cruise tourism guarantee an unforgettable holiday experience.
Tea production, the manufacture of cigars, the unique lakes, local cuisine and the friendliness of the local people are just some aspects of the Azores that make it a unique and different place to visit.
We are waiting for you!

October 3, 2023
Graciosa Island hosts second edition of Azores Trails Fest until October 7
The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, through the Regional Directorate for Tourism, is holding the second edition of Azores Trails Fest on Graciosa Island from October 4 to 7. The event kicks off with the opening of the "A Caminhante" (The Walker) statue, by artist José João Dutra, on October 4 at 4 pm on the access road to Furna da Maria Encantada cave in the parish of Guadalupe. The opening session of the event, which will be chaired by the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, is scheduled for 6:30 pm on the same day at the Multipurpose Pavilion in Santa Cruz da Graciosa. This will be followed by the presentation of the Azores Trails Fest 2023 programme and the launch of MONITRAILS, the platform for managing and monitoring the regional network of hiking trails. The event aims to involve public entities and the entire tourist trade, including restaurants, hotels and tourist entertainment companies, among many others, in the promotion and development of the Regional Network of Hiking Trails, establishing the Azores on the international scene as a reference in active nature tourism experiences, based on a perspective of sustainability. This initiative aims to mitigate seasonality by lengthening the tourist season and increasing the range of initiatives available in the low season, promoting the Region, consolidating its image as a destination for nature tourism experiences with ideal qualities and conditions for these activities, and increasing its visibility in this niche market. Moreover, it also intends to disseminate and enhance local sustainability as well as to encourage active and healthy lifestyles, thus fulfilling the duty to incorporate a social and educational component. Increasing the qualifications of those involved in the local tourism offer, thus ensuring the integration of a social and economic component, and establishing a permanent reference for entertainment in the Region that can be included in the annual programme of the "Trade" and other tourism stakeholders are others goals of this event, which is directed at the local community, tourists, tour operators, and the national and international press. The Azores Trails Fest programme will include a series of hiking trails with different themes, along which hikers will have the opportunity to receive explanations about flora, fauna, geosites, and cultural and historical aspects of Graciosa's identity. They will also have the opportunity to experience local gastronomy, art in nature, and health and wellness activities, among others. The first edition of Azores Trails Fest took place in 2022 on the island of São Jorge.
September 28, 2023
Recognition of Gastronomic Heritage was main theme of World Tourism Day in the Azores
The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, through the Regional Directorate for Tourism, celebrated World Tourism Day yesterday, September 27, with a conference held in Santa Cruz on the island of Flores. Focused on Gastronomic Tourism, the conference featured a speech by the Regional Director for Tourism, Rosa Costa, who represented the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Berta Cabral. This was followed by the presentation of the revised PEMTA2030 (Strategic and Marketing Plan for Tourism in the Azores) and the Azores Gastronomic Tourism Report, drawn up by Local Food Culture for the Regional Directorate for Tourism. The latter presents the current situation of gastronomy in the Azores as a tourism product while also recommending actions for structuring and improving this product. The meeting was also attended by three successful companies specialising in gastronomic tours, two of them from the Azores and a third owned by an Azorean descendant who lives in the United States and brings groups to the Azores to learn about Azorean gastronomy. According to Berta Cabral, this celebration was aimed at "showing the potential of the Azores to continue innovating and diversifying its tourism offer, especially the kind that is accessible all year round and that allows the destination to invest in periods outside the high season. This will contribute to the dispersion of visitors across the nine islands of the archipelago, which is one of the goals set out in PEMTA 2030." It should be noted that, as part of the World Tourism Day celebrations in the Azores, all those visiting the Tourism Information Offices received a regional product, as a result of the partnership established with the Azores Brand. The theme chosen for this celebration in the Azores was in line with that launched by the World Tourism Organisation - Green Investments, which highlighted the need for more and better investments aimed at people, the planet and the prosperity of the local community, as an alternative to traditional investments.