Alonso Miguel chaired delivery ceremony of Green Key certificates
Ponta Delgada
Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática
The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, chaired this Tuesday the delivery ceremony of the Green Key certificates to the recipients of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island.
Alonso Miguel explained that "ensuring the balance between the absolute need to protect a unique natural heritage of enormous wealth and diversity but particularly vulnerable, without jeopardising the economic and social development of the Azores, is, in fact, a complex challenge and one of the main responsibilities assigned to the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change."
"Environmental sustainability is, as such, a cornerstone for the development of our Region, as a brand image leveraging a key sector for the Azores, such as tourism," he said.
The Secretary for the Environment stressed that "we have indeed been on an extraordinary journey in the Region, which led to the Azores being recognised in 2019 as a sustainable tourist destination by the EarthCheck standard, according to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria."
Last October, this certification reached the Silver level and, in order to maintain this positive and consolidated evolution, the goal is to achieve the Gold level by 2024.
"The Azores are, in fact, the only archipelago in the world certified as a Sustainable Tourism Destination. We are, therefore, focused on ensuring a tourism development model that protects what distinguishes us and the best we have to offer," he said.
The government official stressed that "this is precisely the goal of several projects promoted by the Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, such as the Friend of Nature programme, the Green Spirit Awards or the Miosótis Azores Award. This is also the goal of the Green Key Programme.
According to Alonso Miguel, "the Green Key certificate is an environmental accreditation mechanism for companies in the tourism industry, recognised by international entities, coordinated in Portugal by ABAE - European Blue Flag Association and under the responsibility of FEE - Federation for Environmental Education, whose programme is in a leading position as a standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry."
"This is a highly prestigious certificate that represents a commitment on the part of tourist units such as hotels, hostels, local accommodation establishments, campsites, holiday camps, conference centres and restaurants, among other tourist units. It ensures that their tourist establishments are subject to strict criteria that are in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations to be achieved by 2030," revealed the government official.
"For these reasons and considering their importance for sustainable tourism in the Region, it is with great pleasure that we officially deliver the Green Key 2023 awards to 20 establishments from seven islands of the Azores that are part of a selected group of 268 establishments awarded at a national level within a group of about 4,000 establishments from more than 60 countries, recognising all the dedication and merit in the pursuit of environmental excellence."
In this edition, the Azorean tourist units awarded in the Hotel, Rural Tourism, Local Accommodation and Camping categories are as follows: INATEL Flores Hotel and INATEL Graciosa Hotel, «Flores and Graciosa Islands, respectively; Pousada Forte da Horta and Quinta da Meia Eira, Faial Island; Aldeia da Fonte and Areias da Prainha, Pico Island; Make It Happen Farm, São Jorge Island; Quinta do Martelo, Terceira Island; Octant Hotels Furnas, Quinta das Laranjeiras, Pestana Bahia Praia, Quinta da Mó, The Lince Nordeste Country and Nature Hotel, Volcanic Charming House, Casas do Forneiro, Casas do Vale and Tradicampo com, Casa da Fonte, Casa da Talha, Casas do Pátio and Quinta das Cycas, São Miguel Island.
Alonso Miguel revealed that "there are now four more tourist units awarded in the Azores than in 2022, representing an increase of 25% over the previous year and reinforcing this positive evolution, which brings great expectations that there may be even more tourist units awarded in the Region in 2024."
