The second meeting of Local Accommodation in the Azores will be held on January 19 and 20 in Angra do Heroísmo, on Terceira Island. The event will be held in the Grand Auditorium of the Angra do Heroísmo Cultural and Congress Center (CCCAH). During these two days, twenty speakers will address the CCCAH on topics related to the AL’s activities and the region’s tourism sector. According to the Azores Local Accommodation Association (ALA), this initiative is considered “the highlight” of its activity, reads a statement sent to the Diário Insular newspaper.

On January 19, the program kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with the opening speeches, which will be attended by the President of the Local Accommodation Association, João Pinheiro; the Mayor of Angra do Heroísmo, Álamo Meneses; the Mayor of Praia da Vitória, Vânia Ferreira, and the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral. The day will include three panels and will end with a convivial dinner.

Journalist José Lourenço will moderate the first panel and deal with “The role of LA in the tourism development of the Azores.” the President of ALA, João Pinheiro; the Regional Director of Tourism, Rosa Costa; the President of the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, José António; and the Mayor of Ribeira Grande, Alexandre Gaudêncio, are invited to debate the subject.

The second panel, moderated by journalist Vasco Pernes, will discuss the “Reality of LA in the Azores.” The debate will occur between Margarida Quinteiro, Sara Nascimento, Rosa Dart, and Ricardo Mendes, who own local accommodations in the region.

The third and final panel of the day will discuss “LA in tourism operations.” Moderated by journalist Tatiana Ourique, it features Sandrine Casseau from the Terra Lusitânia agency, Catarina Cymbrom from Melo Travel, Luís Nunes from Azores Getaway, and Nuno Pinto from the Abreu agency.

The 20th begins with the fourth panel on “Challenges for the affirmation of LA” and will be moderated by journalist Osvaldo Cabral. The guests are Francisco Gil, a member of the ALA; university professor Graça Batista; businessman António Nobre; and Miguel Torres Marques, from the Association of Local Accommodation in Portugal.

The last panel looks at the “Positioning of LA in 2024”. Moderated by journalist Paulo Simões, it is debated by Gualter Couto from Fundo Maneio; Marcos Couto, President of CCAH; Regional Director for Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness, Bruno Belo; and lawyer Elias Pereira. There will be two workshops and a musical moment.

in Diário Insular-José Lourenço, 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 Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno–PBBI thanks the sponsorship of the Luso-American Development Foundation from Lisbon, Portugal (FLAD)