Azoreans are generally satisfied with tourism but very concerned with rising home prices.

The survey by the Azores Tourism Observatory (OTA) on the perception of Azores residents regarding the development of tourism in the region, now released, paints an ambivalent picture of the relationship between Azoreans and tourism: 90% of respondents rate the development of the sector as “satisfactory” or better, but point to negative impacts on housing prices and pressure on natural resources. The study collected 833 valid responses via an online questionnaire between May and September 2024 on the islands with the highest tourist flow—São Miguel (298), Terceira (270), and Faial (265)—and had a universe of 219,247 residents in the region.

In terms of overall assessment, 41% consider development “satisfactory,” 36% “quite satisfactory,” and 13% “very satisfactory”; only 10% rate it as ‘somewhat’ or “very unsatisfactory.” On the economic front, the majority recognize benefits such as job creation (79.9%) and the attraction of investment, but identify significant side effects: 77.6% say that tourism raises the price of land and houses, 74.7% mention the rise in prices of goods and services, and 71.6% point to the increase in the cost of living.

In terms of social impacts, the study points to divided perceptions: 53.5% believe that tourism improves access to leisure facilities and venues, but about half mention disruptions to daily life (noise, inappropriate behavior, litter) and a lack of qualified human resources in the sector.

On a cultural level, positive interpretations prevail: 68.3% say that tourism enhances intangible heritage and more than two-thirds point to gains in conservation and cultural offerings; even so, between 30% and 37% fear a loss of authenticity and identity. The environmental dimension is one of the critical points: 63.0% consider that tourism increases pollution levels, and 59.7% feel high pressure on the natural environment during peak seasons. However, 57.6% recognize contributions to resource conservation.

In terms of civic attitude, the perception of participation is low: 42.5% never get involved in decision-making processes about tourism development, and 53.9% say they do not receive enough information to understand this development (adding “never” and “rarely”). When asked about the direction of the destination, 75.7% consider that the Azores follow a model of sustainable tourism, although a quarter disagree and point to “excessive local accommodation,” “lack of planning,” and “pressure on resources” as reasons for their disagreement.

As for local perception, between 65% and 75% of residents, depending on the island, agree that “tourism is good” for their island, with São Miguel recording the highest levels of agreement and Terceira the lowest. In terms of long-term priorities and risks, the lack of skilled labor emerges as the main threat (24.3%), followed by high prices compared to the quality offered (14.3%), pressure on infrastructure during peak seasons (13.8%), and lack of available accommodation during that period (11.7%). Seasonality, low supply relative to demand, and a shortage of rental cars complete the picture of constraints pointed out by residents.

Among the suggestions, the following stand out: limiting visitors to sensitive locations, strengthening and regulating local accommodation, more supervision, improving the public transport network, and focusing on tourists who leave more value at the destination, in addition to greater qualification of human resources

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The survey is part of the “Monitor” vector of the OTA — a member of the international INSTO network of the World Tourism Organization since January 2020 — and aims to provide evidence for policies that balance growth in the sector with the well-being of communities.