The Regional Government is one of the founding signatories of the "Future of Tourism" Coalition, an international initiative for the sustainable and secure recovery of world tourism, which is now beginning to resume the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Besides the Regional Government, CREST - Centre for Responsible Travel, Destination Stewardship Centre, Green Destinations, Sustainable Travel International, Tourism Cares and Travel Foundation, with the guidance of the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism (GSTC).
The union of these organisations has as its global mission to place the needs of destinations as the centre of the new tourism for the future.
In order to promote the sustainable, responsible and safe recovery of the tourism sector, in the environmental, social, economic and cultural spheres, these organisations have joined together, calling governments, tourism agencies, travel companies, investors, non-governmental organisations and communities of destinations to take this commitment and align themselves with the Guiding Principles for the New Future of Tourism.
With a strong strategy and a strong commitment to the sustainable development of tourism, the Azores are, thus, one of the driving forces behind the Guiding Principles of this international movement, the "Future of Tourism" Coalition, of which only a limited number of destinations, companies and other stakeholders are part, positioning themselves as an international reference in the international scene.
One of the principles recognises the “vision of the whole and not just of the parts,” considering the destination as a whole, not only the business component but also its ecosystems, natural resources, assets, cultural traditions, communities, aesthetics and existing infrastructures.
Regarding the social pillar, emphasis is given to the establishment of policies aimed at mitigating inequalities of benefits and maximising the maintenance of tourism revenue in the communities, as well as to the importance of ensuring that investments are linked to the optimisation of positive impacts for people and the environment.
As for environmental principles, there is a reference for “climate action,” which intends to join efforts to implement the necessary actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the tourism sector and encourage the rational use of resources.
Those who are interested may obtain further information about the "Future of Tourism" Coalition at https://www.futureoftourism.org/.