Berta Cabral attended meeting of Strategic Council for Tourism Promotion - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, participated today in the meeting of the Strategic Council for Tourism Promotion held in Faro. The government official was accompanied by the Regional Director for Tourism, Rosa Costa, and the President of Visit Azores, Luís Capdeville.

During the meeting, the new Portugal Brand (BAV) study was presented. The main findings were disclosed and will soon be made available to all entities in the sector. This study is a fundamental strategic tool for defining the country's external promotion priorities.

Turismo de Portugal (national tourism authority) also presented its results from 2025, outlining the sector's evolution and key performance indicators. This was followed by presentations from the Tourism Regions, which shared their challenges and priorities for the next cycle.

Among the topics highlighted was the need to increase investment in attracting international events, prioritising growth in value over an increase in visitor figures. The constraints on national airport infrastructures were also addressed, having been identified as one of the main factors limiting the sustainable growth of tourism.

For Berta Cabral, these issues are "crucial for the future of the sector" and should be analysed with special attention, both in the national context and in an island region such as the Azores.

The Regional Secretary also stressed the need to align strategic thinking on the promotion of tourism in Portugal, boosting investment in attracting events "as drivers of visibility, value and diversification of demand."

The Tourism Regions, including the Azores, agreed on the priority of investing in tourism with greater added value, which is more sustainable and qualified, advocating that the future of the sector lies in an approach that favours quality over quantity.

The Strategic Council for Tourism Promotion is the advisory body of the Government of the Republic for the external promotion of Portugal as a tourist destination. As such, it fosters strategic coordination between Turismo de Portugal, the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira, the Portuguese Tourism Confederation, the Regional Tourism Promotion Agencies, and the respective Regional Tourism Entities.