The President of the Azores Local Accommodation Association (ALA) stressed yesterday that concrete solutions are necessary to combat the seasonality of tourism in the Azores. During the low season, “more than 60% of the units close,” which “affects not only the owners but also the destinations and surrounding communities.”
Speaking at the opening of the 3rd Meeting of Local Accommodation in the Azores, which took place at the Teatro Micaelense in Ponta Delgada, João Pinheiro said that it is necessary to “face this reality with concrete solutions, such as strengthening air connections, boosting tourism promotion in times of lower demand and investing in strategies to attract alternative markets.”
For the President of ALA, the sector needs “measures that combine economic sustainability with the quality of the offer, ensuring that growth is not interrupted, but boosted.”
João Pinheiro said, “Regular and accessible connections are the common thread between the dream of visiting the Azores and the reality of doing so. A quality destination requires modern infrastructures and consistent and enjoyable travel experiences”, leaving the challenge for this meeting to come up with ‘concrete ideas and proposals to ensure that our islands continue to be competitive and accessible to a global audience.’
Pointing out that the Local Accommodation (LA) sector “already represents more than 60% of the beds available in the region and more than 40% of the total overnight stays in the Azores”, the ALA leader revealed that on the second day of the meeting “we will have the opportunity to present the updated study of the economic impact of Local Accommodation in the region, which reveals impressive data, such as the impact of LA on the region’s economy, of around 350 million euros in 2023, which represents a very significant contribution to the regional GDP, of 6.7%”.

For João Pinheiro, however, AL is “much more than numbers” since “it is a transforming force, which drives the rehabilitation of old buildings, breathes life into local economies and creates opportunities where before there was stagnation. They are spaces that welcome, enchant, and offer genuine experiences, promoting our island traditions and singularities.”
“Another central and unavoidable issue is the tourist tax, which was implemented at the beginning of this year and which, despite being an opportunity to reinvest in the sector, came at an inappropriate time and was poorly adapted,” said the President of the ALA, warning of the importance of ‘properly applying these funds’.
João Pinheiro also highlighted the tireless work carried out by ALA “to support our members.
In recent years, the ALA has managed to “alert the competent authorities and include Local Accommodation in access to community funds, namely in the Small Business section of Construir 2030, said João Pinheiro, considering that ‘this was a small but very significant victory, allowing owners to invest in the qualitative increase of their properties’.
However, he said, “It is essential that there is a review of the support limit because, with inflation, the amounts available are beginning to be insufficient.”
The association leader also declared himself satisfied with “the announcement of the reprogramming of the PRR, reinforcing Solenerge, an essential program for energy sustainability, where Local Accommodation can play a fundamental role”.
For João Pinheiro, this third Meeting serves not only to “celebrate the impact of Local Accommodation on the regional economy” but also to reaffirm our commitment to a sector that values sustainability, quality, and inclusive growth.
Together, we have the power to raise Local Accommodation to new heights of excellence, maintaining it as a driving force for the progress of our islands.”

Ponta Delgada has more than 900 local accommodations

The Mayor of Ponta Delgada, Pedro Nascimento Cabral, said that the tourist tax was implemented for the benefit of the residents of Ponta Delgada, to maintain the low-tax policy and invest in improving infrastructures, preserve green spaces, waste management, and leveraging the tourism sector itself.
“I’m not going to raise taxes on the citizens of Ponta Delgada to the detriment of a tourist tax. I’m sorry, but don’t count on me for that. It’s important that those who visit us compensate for the tourist footprint they leave behind,” he stressed.
Pedro Nascimento Cabral spoke yesterday at the opening session of the 3rd Meeting of Local Accommodation in the Azores, which was held at the Teatro Micaelense. The initiative was organized by the Association of Local Accommodation in the Azores (ALA) with the support of Ponta Delgada Town Hall.
The mayor argued that the residents of Ponta Delgada cannot be the ones to bear, with more taxes, the additional pressure resulting from the exponential growth in the number of tourists on the island of São Miguel.
As he said, we have reached a point where it is only fair that those who visit us contribute to maintaining the services and infrastructures they use. He said that the tourist tax applied by São Miguel’s six municipalities is not enough to deter tourists from deciding to travel to the island.

“Honestly, two euros per guest, for a maximum of three nights, is perhaps equivalent to a happy meal,” he said.
The mayor clarified that, under the regulation created, residents of the Azores, young people up to the age of 13, people with a physical disability of 60% or more, and guests whose stay in the municipality is motivated by obtaining medical services are exempt from paying the municipal tourist tax.
“The purpose of the tourist tax is laid down in the regulations and the law. The funds collected from the tourist tax have an exclusive purpose: the rehabilitation, maintenance and construction of everything related to tourist activity,” he explained.
As such, the mayor emphasized that the tourist tax will continue to support the tourism sector and maintain low taxation in the municipality. He recalls that in Ponta Delgada, companies pay only 1% of the municipal surcharge and that, by the end of this year, the City Council will have given up 32 million euros in taxes to leave them to the free management of the municipality’s families.
The Mayor of Ponta Delgada emphasized that the tourist tax represents an additional source of revenue that will allow for the improvement of “roads, sanitation, public lighting, bathing areas and green spaces” while pointing out that upgrading these infrastructures will benefit residents, tourists, and the businesses that serve them.
During his speech, Pedro Nascimento Cabral also welcomed the “robust growth” of the accommodation and catering sector in the municipality, evidenced by the fact that companies linked to the area have recorded an increase in turnover of more than 95 million euros and created more than 450 new jobs between 2021 and 2023.
“Official data shows the successive and sustained growth of the activity underlying Local Accommodation. In fact, in Ponta Delgada, in 2021, with regard to accommodation and catering, we had 304 companies, with 3130 workers, which had a turnover of around 94 million euros. In 2023, we will have 323 companies, with 3,587 workers, in the same area of accommodation and catering, with a turnover of 189 million euros,” he said.
He also revealed that the municipality of Ponta Delgada has more than 900 local accommodations.

Luís Garcia: Local Accommodations is the engine

The President of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ALRAA), Luís Garcia, argued yesterday that the Local Accommodation sector “has been a driving force behind the enhancement of the built heritage and a factor in economic dynamism,” allowing many Azoreans to invest, requalify and benefit from the archipelago’s potential.
“Occupying an increasingly important role in our communities, Local Accommodation has contributed to the recovery of urban centers and dilapidated properties, bringing new life to previously forgotten spaces,” said the President of the Legislative Assembly at the opening of the 3rd Meeting of Local Accommodation in the Azores, in Ponta Delgada.
“A strong tourism sector is only possible with motivated, recognized and well-prepared people. In the Azores we have in our people the greatest asset we can offer the world: an authentic spirit of hospitality, a unique ability to welcome and share the best we have,” said the President of the Legislative Assembly.

In Diário dso Açores

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.