Visit Azores
“Visit Azores is committed to attracting travellers who are looking to discover an exclusive island experience and explore a huge range of activities”
was created in April 2003 in the context of restructuring national tourism promotion, reorganising 15 regional promotional areas into seven.
ATA presents itself as the entity mandated to promote the autonomous region of the Azores in the national and international markets, representing the majority of the economic agents of the tourist sector in the archipelago, namely hoteliers, travel agents, tourist animation companies, rent- a-car, restaurants, as well as official entities, such as municipal councils and associations, among others.
Tasked with promoting the autonomous region of the Azores, ATA is responsible for the preparation, presentation and execution of the marketing plan for the Tourism Promotion Agency of the Azores in conjunction with the Regional Directorate for Tourism.
The organisation’s Chairman, Francisco Coelho, answers our questions.
VISIT AZORES ( ATA) EME Outlook (EMEO): Tell us a bit more about your core activities. Francisco Coelho (FC):
Visit Azores pursues all that is connected to or involves the promotion of the Azores destination as a tourist destination. We target strategic markets and aim to increase in a sustained way the volume of overnight stays in all the islands of the Azores, as well as increase revenues for all the stakeholders of the sector. Our activities are based on the values of competence, efficiency, cooperation, transparency and fairness towards all shareholders and stakeholders. preserving our natural and cultural heritage while at the same time creating fair and lasting wealth, the international imperatives of climate governance towards a global low carbon economy, and the increasing pressure that a growing global population puts on the planet and the region, it is essential to strengthen our tourism strategy with a clear focus on sustainability.
This means tourism that is adapted to our local reality and resilient in the face of the global challenges we currently face, and the adoption of a prosperity strategy firmly rooted in the principles of sustainable development.
EMEO: What are some of the hallmark activities tourists can enjoy in the Azores? FC:
Visit Azores is committed to attracting travellers who are looking to discover an exclusive island experience and explore a huge range of activities.
These include challenging bike tours, record breaking big game fishing, and bird watching unique species and numerous North American migratory birds, especially in the autumn and winter months.
The Azores also offers opportunities for canoeing/kayaking in the inner waters of our crater lakes or romantic coastal coves, and exploring some of the world’s best canyoning sites with
ourvery own Azores Geopark. The Mackenzie Ross, Bob Cameron and Chris Powell golf courses, unique thalassic and mineral water pools, and 80 hiking trails spanning 800 kilometres, most of which are also ideal for horseback riding, are popular activities.
Further, you can enjoy breath-taking paragliding over dormant volcanoes, archaeological, cave and volcanic arch scuba diving that also allows you to see blue sharks, whale sharks and manta rays, great waves for surf and body boarding, and international sailing that showcases our excellent natural conditions for yachting.
The Azores is a place of pristine, singular beauty.
EMEO: What is in store for the industry in the future? FC:
The archipelago has been enjoying visibility as a tourist attraction and is increasingly standing out as a unique destination due to its natural heritage, capable of captivating the most demanding tourists in terms of environmental quality.
The Azorean government’s perspective and strategy for managing the current and estimated future tourism growth assures a sustainable destination approach, based on a political commitment to integrate energy, environment and tourism in the same department.
It is possible to predict that the levels of growth from supply and demand will continue to improve in a balanced way. The policies to be implemented in accordance with the Azorean government’s programme for the next four years make clear that the Azores are perfectly positioned in relation to one of the fastest growing tourism segments in the world – adventure tourism and active nature.