The President of the Azorean Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, visited the Pico Vineyards Hotel, a four-star rural tourism development whose construction work is nearing completion and scheduled to open in the coming months.

This project represents an investment of 1.6 million euros, co-financed by the Competir+ Incentive System. It aims to attract tourists from Europe, the United States, and Asia who enjoy wine, nature, design, and architecture and have high purchasing power.

The leader of the Azorean executive stressed the importance of projects like this for boosting the economy of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

“Tourism should serve to boost the rest of the economy, and the Azores have been more vital and dynamic than ever before. Our aim is to continue to promote the qualification, enhancement, diversification and differentiation of the tourism product, always with a focus on sustainable tourism that makes the most of the region’s natural and landscape resources,” he said.

The development, set in a vineyard surrounded by basalt stone walls, is committed to using regional raw materials, such as basalt stone and cryptomeria, reinforcing the local identity. It has 15 accommodation units and a winery, which produced 400 liters of white wine in 2024. The Regional Tourism Board has already classified the project as “innovative, diversifying and qualifying the existing tourist offer.”

He also highlighted the importance of the Azores Vine and Wine Institute (IVVA) to the success of the region’s wine sector.

“The positive dynamics of the wine sector over the last three decades is remarkable. The creation of the IVVA provides integrated and effective support for the sector’s challenges, ensuring the harmonization of policies and regulations,” he stressed.

In recent years, the island of Pico has seen significant tourism growth. In 2024, the number of overnight stays increased by 12% to 242,505, and revenue from hotel establishments increased by 16% to seven million euros. These figures reinforce the importance of projects like the Pico Vineyards Hotel in consolidating the island as a leading tourist destination.

The event, part of the statutory visit to Pico, was also attended by the Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning, and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas, the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, and the Mayor of Madalena, Catarina Manito.

In Correio dos Açores, Natalino Viveiros, director

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.