Berta Cabral highlights tourism growth in 2025 and reiterates Government’s proactive strategy to overcome challenges - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, gave assurances today at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores regarding the fact that the Regional Government is implementing the necessary measures to protect and revitalise the tourism sector in view of the current global situation.

The government official also provided a detailed overview of the market, highlighting the “historic results achieved” and setting out solutions to overcome new international challenges.

Berta Cabral noted that tourism has established itself as the main driving force of economic development in the Azores, promoting real convergence with the national average.

2025 consolidated this success with more than 4.5 million overnight stays, a 4.1% increase compared to the previous year, and a significant 9.6% rise in total hospitality revenue.

The government official emphasised that the Region was not only the first in the country to recover post-pandemic, but has also managed to attract 16 airlines to operate in the archipelago in 2026, compared to the seven operating in 2019.

This entire path towards destination accreditation culminated in the winning of numerous global awards and the achievement of Gold I sustainability certification in 2024 and Gold II in 2025.

Despite this period of tremendous vitality, the Regional Secretary candidly acknowledged the current uncertainty facing the global market.

Berta Cabral explained that rising interest rates “have impacted household income in the domestic market, whilst geopolitical instability and new internal immigration policies in the United States have severely affected” consumer confidence and growth in what was previously the main outbound market.

The government official clarified that this slowdown in demand is not an isolated phenomenon in the Azores, but is also being felt in competing destinations such as Spain, Germany and various regions of Portugal, including Madeira, the Algarve and the Setúbal Peninsula.

With a view to addressing this volatility, the Azorean Government is taking a proactive approach and working closely with the sector.

The Regional Secretary announced the revitalisation of the Visit Azores Association, whose new board of directors will involve business leaders in shaping the promotional strategy – she also announced that the organisation will be led by Nuno Leandro.

Operational plans focused on the summer and winter seasons are already in place, along with co-branding campaigns with operators and the international launch of the “Safe Destination” campaign, aimed at boosting awareness and confidence in the archipelago.

Berta Cabral also guaranteed close cooperation with the National Government and Turismo de Portugal (national tourism authority) to ensure adequate air links and the promotion of the Region. In this regard, she pointed out that the current regional Government has increased the annual average funding for tourism promotion to €3.1 million. This figure far exceeds the average of €2.2 million under the previous socialist administration.

As she emphasised, the increase in funding was achieved whilst simultaneously clearing a €9 million debt to the banks (from unpaid programme contracts dating back to 2012), whose repayment plan was only due to be completed in 2025.

Before concluding her speech, Berta Cabral expressed her firm confidence in the resilience of the business community and the structural strategy set out in the Strategic and Marketing Plan for Tourism in the Azores 2030. 

The Regional Secretary assured that the Government will lead this new phase with great determination.

She concluded: “Just as we weathered the subprime crisis and the pandemic, we will rise to the challenge we face in 2026 and, together with the entire sector, we will overcome it.”