“Taking into account the certification of the region as a ‘Sustainable Destination’, obtained in 2019, according to the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and the resulting competitive advantages, the revision of the PEMTA, now approved, was based on the reinforcement of sustainability as a fundamental pillar for the development of tourism in the Azores, in line with the new trends and profiles of travelers and tourists at international level “, said Mónica Seidi, on behalf of the Government of the Azores.

According to Mónica Seidi, who was speaking to journalists at the Conceição Palace in Ponta Delgada, presenting the deliberations of the Government Council (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), which met On August 3rd, the new PEMTA has as its time horizon the year 2030, “to follow the implementation of the Community programming period.”   The plan “includes the positioning of the Azores as a sustainable tourist destination, the definition of priority markets and the general principles of organizing the offer, aiming to be a guiding document for the entire sector with the main objective of getting all companies and all stakeholders to align their work under the same strategic guidelines.”

“PEMTA 2030 reflects the strategy of the Autonomous Region of the Azores for tourism as a basic sector of the regional economy, based on the principle of creating value for residents and the territory, based on the promotion of tourist activity throughout the year on all islands”, she summarized.

The government official also recalled that in 2015 the first PEMTA was prepared, “looking ahead to 2020 and defining the positioning of the Azores as being, as a priority, a nature destination”.

“The covid-19 pandemic interrupted, in 2020, the trajectory of growth and tourism development that was registered in the region, leading to the need for immediate recovery of the destination and demonstrating the urgency of formulating a new strategy for the future of this sector,” she said.

Also, according to the Regional Secretary for Health and Sports, the Azorean Government decided to authorize the expenditure and contracting by opening a public tender for the “TECNOPOLO – MARTEC – PRR Contract,” with a base price of 22.8 million euros.

The last bidding for this investment, launched in June, had a single competitor. The Government opted for non-award because “it did not comply with what was established in the specifications, including the base price,” she said.  After consulting the market, the process was reformulated, and the bid’s value was increased by two million compared to the previous one.

The Government also decided to authorize the expenditure and the launch of the public bidding for the contract for the Improvement and Requalification of the Azores Qualification Center, with a base price of eight million euros, and to authorize the conclusion of a “cooperation-investment contract” for the construction of the Intergenerational Center of São Antão, on the island of São Jorge, up to the limit of 3.8 million euros.  It also authorized the granting of financial support to Private and Cooperative Education Establishments with the teaching of the 2nd and 3rd cycles of elementary education and secondary, as well as providing the acquisition of digital manuals.  The government also authorized the expenditure and the decision to contract by open public bid, the acquisition of the regular collective passenger transport service on the island of São Jorge, up to a maximum value of 3.1 million euros.

This news story is from Açoriano Oriental, Paulo Simões, director.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Medial Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.