The December/January issue of the prestigious North American travel magazine and portal has selected the Azores Archipelago as one of the World's 10 top budget destinations for 2012. Destinations were selected according to the quality/price ratio.
When choosing the Azores destination, the magazine took into account the natural features of the archipelago and the favourable travel conditions to the archipelago from the perspective of an American tourist, highlighting the existence of attractive travel packages with flight connections from Boston and efficient inter-island transport. The current economic context in Portugal makes this destination a "big bargain" opportunity for American travellers.
The magazine also highlights the climate with mild temperatures throughout the year, suggesting the months of October to May as the best time to nature lovers to travel to the Azores, which may significantly contribute to reducing seasonality.
In addition to the Azores, which comes first, the list of budget destinations also includes Egypt, Atlantic Canada, Belize, Poland, Taipei, Athens, San Diego and San António.
The distinction of the archipelago by a prestigious magazine such as Budget Travel enhances the visibility of the Azores as a nature tourism destination in the U.S. market, one the most important tourism markets to the Azores.
This international distinction is another one to be add to the distinctions already awarded in the year 2011, such as: Azores as one of the "8 Exotic Warm-weather Destinations to Try" by the CBS network magazine; the Azores included in guide for "best cultural and activity breaks in Portugal, from the gardens of Madeira to whale watching in the Azores" by The Telegraph newspaper; Azores among the "10 Best Trips of Summer 2011" by National Geographic Traveller Magazine; Aldeia da Cuada among the "World's Most Romantic Hotels" by Travel & Leisure magazine; Pico among "Best Secret Islands on Earth" by Travel & Leisure magazine; Furnas among "Top 5 Volcanic Vacations" by the World Travel Guide.