The signs are there for anyone who wants to see them: there is already some tourist overload that we may soon regret. The warnings come from São Miguel, where you have to book in advance to swim in some iconic spots, and finding somewhere to have lunch (especially dinner) is becoming an ordeal. These are two examples from the green island, but they are also being felt on Pico, another island that is in vogue. Finding accommodation on the mountainous island, especially during July and August, is complicated, and prices skyrocket to five-star levels. In addition, restaurants are struggling to meet demand, resulting in long lines outside the few that are open. Another worrying sign is the capacity of the regional airline, which is unable to meet demand. How far this will go, perhaps no one knows for sure. Prices are starting to inflate, and this is reflected in those who live here all year round. And there is another pernicious effect, which is the deterioration of the service provided to tourists, which does not live up to the expectations created at the beginning of the trip. A tourist who is mistreated or dissatisfied will not only fail to return but will also be a terrible ambassador when communicating their experiences to family and friends, who are potential new tourists. We still have time, but if measures are not taken to curb the influx of tourists, we may regret it sooner or later. Just look at what is happening in Spanish and Greek island destinations, and even in European cities, where serious movements are underway to combat the avalanche of tourists. And we can expect that what these cities and islands cannot absorb will fall into our lap. We can expect to applaud happily and proudly at the statistics with fantastic growth charts. But this will be an illusion, and sooner or later, we will go down the same path as other destinations. We are still in time, perhaps at the point of no return, to take measures to curb this growth before we exhaust our capacity.

Let us transform the Azores into a destination of excellence, not at the mercy of a few. Let us specialize and not squander the natural resources we have for a song. Let us not have the ambition to grow in quantity because, in this as in many other cases, it is the enemy of quality. Let us take this path and ask for help from those who know how to do it, if we do not know how to do it ourselves. Let us not sell the Azores for a song. Furthermore, let us also leave space for the Azoreans, who love their islands and also enjoy traveling between them, now that conditions have been created for their mobility. The Azores are what remains of the Atlantic paradise and must therefore be treated well so that they can be passed on to future generations and so that they, in turn, can pass them on to those who come after them.

In Diário Insular, José Lourenço-director

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from various leading thinkers and writers in the Azores, providing the diaspora and those interested in the current state of the Azores with insight into the diverse opinions on some of the archipelago’s key issues.

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).