The Regional Secretary for Natural Resources welcomed the distinction of Faial Natural Park at the EDEN Innovation Awards in the Community Building category. The awards aim to distinguish European destinations of excellence in the areas of marketing, local development and social cohesion.

"This award is also intended to highlight the link between the conservation of natural heritage and the creation of employment opportunities arising from efficient spatial planning," said Luís Neto Viveiros.

Faial Natural Park was distinguished for its contribution to the promotion of the island's social cohesion as a sustainable tourist destination at the awards ceremony held in Brussels under the auspices of the European Union. The event took place on the sidelines of the annual meeting of EDEN Destinations Association, an event that brought together 100 destinations from 28 European countries.

The Regional Secretary stressed that this contribution reflects the Government's policy for the actions develops by the nine Island Parks across the archipelago.

The programme "Parceiros para a Sustentabilidade" (Partners for Sustainability), which already comprises 37 entities from different areas, and the cooperation established with the local community were some of the aspects developed by Faial Natural Park taken into consideration for the honourable mention award.

The acronym EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence) designates the European Destinations of Excellence, an initiative promoted by the European Commission with the purpose of fostering sustainable tourism models, disseminating destinations and promoting the exchange of good practices.

Faial Natural Park has been the only EDEN destination in Portugal since 2011. This body was now invited to join the board of EDEN association, which plays a pivotal role in the development of relatively unknown European tourist destinations, but with great potential for development.