Azores to host first European Underwater Photography Championship, announced Vasco Cordeiro
The Azores will host the first European Underwater Photography Championship in September next year, announced the Regional Secretary for the Economy on Friday on Graciosa, the island where this event will take place.
Vasco Cordeiro, who participated at the opening session of the 3rd Underwater Tourism Biennial, considered that it was “an honour” for the Region to be chosen by the World Confederation of Underwater Activities for the organisation of this event not only because it “asserts Graciosa and the Azores as a destination of reference for diving activities,” but also because “it demonstrate that we are on the right track” regarding the promotion of this destination.
The organisation of this event here on Graciosa also meets what we have been establishing as a priority for the promotion of tourism. A destination of unquestionable quality, a reference at the level of sustainability conditions that is capable of organising such initiatives regardless the size of the island where it takes place,” said Vasco Cordeiro.
For the government official, the Azores were chosen as the stage of this championship “due to our exceptional natural beauties and the work carried out by all: public entities which have provided the Region with infrastructures and contributed to the promotion of tourism as well as our businesspeople and entities such as Agraprome and the Regional Tourism Association,” the entities in charge of the organisation of the 3rd Underwater Tourism Biennial.
Vasco Cordeiro also highlighted the importance of the Sea as a development factor “on all islands from Santa Maria to Corvo. It is no longer a constraint, but a key factor in generation business whether in Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo or even in Santa Cruz das Flores, here on Graciosa, or anywhere else.”
The Regional Secretary for the Economy thus assured that the Regional Government is committed to “achieving always more and better, working together with businesspeople and other entities in the sector on a daily basis.”
Following these efforts, the Secretary announced that “a contract for a major promotional campaign in 11 countries, which we consider to be potential markets, such as Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, among others, will be signed today, corresponding to an investment of about 7 million Euros.
“We believe that the Regional Government’s strategy to heavily invest in international markets is showing positive results as evidence by the fact that these markets have contributed to the increase in the number overnight stays during the summer, offsetting the significant decrease that was registered in the national market,” state the Regional Secretary.
In this regard, the government official considered that “the measures announced in the context of the State Budget will have a significant impact on the national market” as it will be necessary to “combine the work of all, the creativity our businesspeople and the dynamics we have instilled in order to constantly improve our offer as this work will contribute decisively to enhance our gains.”
As announced by the President of the Government on Thursday “in the context of the promotion of the Azores in Mainland Portugal, the Regional Secretary for the Economy, in a joint action with business sector, will launch next Sunday another campaign to promote the Azores destination during the low season 2011/2012 with air fares at a very affordable price.”
“It is a very significant institutional effort in order to reach the final consumer. For three weeks, we will carry out a intensive campaign to promote these fares from Mainland Portugal to the Azores at a price of 88.5 €, only available during the low season, using means of dissemination such as outdoor networks, advertising panels, ATM machines, television, advertisements on buses/taxis/subways as well as display windows of travel agencies.”
“Contrary to what some suggest, we are actually working hard to continue to build this formidable challenge which are the Azores and this sector that barely existed over a decade ago,” conclude the Regional Secretary for the Economy.