Azores Trail Run promotes tourism offer and enhances its visibility, says Regional Directorate for Tourism
The Regional Director for Tourism stated on Pico Island that the Azores Trail Run events are a "sports success," emphasising that they promote the "the regional tourism offer" and "enhances its international visibility."
Filipe Macedo spoke at the presentation of the third edition of the Azores Triangle Adventure, highlighting the "very special" characteristics of this competition, which is carried out on three islands, using the best resources of each one. The event reinforces the "complementarity" of the tourism offer of each island. This is achieved either by the "immersion in the natural and humanised landscape" of Capelinhos Volcano, Caldeira do Faial, Pico Mountain, Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture or "Fajãs" of São Jorge or by "a close contact with cultural traditions and integration with local communities, "through" experiences, feelings, emotions, environment and people."
"The Azores Trail Run events have already surpassed its regional, national and international space, gathering more participants each year and with a growing diversity of nationalities," said the Regional Director.
In his speech, Filipe Macedo stressed the importance of "identifying opportunities to further enhance the visibility of the Azores Trail Run in the near future with regard to the idiosyncratic characteristics of the islands and the brand already created." It should be extended "to other islands that may significantly benefit from locally created tourism flows as well as from the international visibility of the event."
For the Regional Director, this purpose "provides a new stimulus to the activity developed within the network of approved pedestrian trails" as "the base infrastructure of the "Azores Certified by Nature" concept. He added that it can be accomplished through various forms, namely the promotion of pedestrian trails, Trail Run, Mountain Biking events, and the support to activities such as birdwatching and biodiversity and geodiversity tourism.
"By taking action in the structuring of products, we believe we are actively contributing to the improvement of the destination, providing private agents with tools to enhance the supply of products and services, which will further strengthen their activity. Therefore, we will contribute to economic growth, more job opportunities and better working conditions," said Filipe Macedo.
The 3rd edition of the Azores Triangle Adventure takes place on the islands of Faial, Pico and São Jorge between October 6 and 8. It comprises three stages on each island, totalling approximately 100 kilometres.