The Regional Secretary for Natural Resources revealed that the infrastructures of the Network of the Azores Environmental Interpretation Centres registered between January and September more than 25,211 visitors compared to the same period last year, which represents an increase of 40.55 percent.

A total of 87,388 visitors visited these centres in the first nine months of this year, said Luís Neto Viveiros. The government official spoke during a visit to the Visitor Centre of "Furna do Enxofre" (Sulphur Cave) on the island of Graciosa, a site located in the Natural Monument of "Caldeira da Graciosa," Biosphere Reserve and Graciosa Natural Park.

"The sustained and significant increase of visitors in the context of this network evidences the success of the Government's strategy," stressed the Regional Secretary.

In the same period, the network of environmental centres, under the management of the Regional Directorate for the Environment and Azorina, registered an overall increase in revenue of 36 percent.

Luís Neto Viveiros restated the Regional Secretary for Natural Resources will the network of environmental centres by 2015. These infrastructures play an important role in environmental education and awareness-raising among Azorean schools and are also a key factor in the development of regional economy and tourist animation initiatives.

As already announced, the Pedreira do Campo Interpretation Centre, Santa Maria, and the Serra de Santa Bárbara Environmental Interpretation Centre, Terceira, will open to the public in 2014.

Next year, the Regional Government will carry out the construction works of the Pineapple Culture Interpretation Centre, São Miguel, and move forward with the procedures for the contract works for the construction of "Casa dos Fósseis" (House of Fossils), Santa Maria, and "Casa do Vulcões" (House of Volcanoes) on Pico.