The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stressed the need of "increasing the number of entities committed to cooperate so that sustainability may a key factor," urging them to opt for eco-events.
Marta Guerreiro stressed the importance of holding this type of events in the Azores. As she emphasised, they should "demonstrate concerns with emission measurements and their compensation, promote ethical purchases, reduce or eliminate the use of paper and disposable packaging, develop a 'care catering' approach, encourage the use of public transport or use sustainable accommodation, especially those distinguished with the Myositis award or international sustainability certification. "
"We cannot just talk about sustainability, it has to be effective, practiced on a day-to-day basis and embodied by all of us, individually, in the public and private sectors," the Secretary for Tourism stressed, noting that eco-events are line with these principles."
Marta Guerreiro spoke at the opening session of the seminar on "More Sustainable Events." On the occasion, she considered that the option of an eco-event embodies a strategy that "will help facing the future," through a "environmentally-friendly consumption," which will make the Azores an example in terms of sustainability."
"The sooner all regional actors adopt strategies towards economic, environmental and social sustainability, the more capable and resilient they will be in the future and the more robust the Azores will be as a sustainable tourist destination," stated the Regional Secretary. According to her, the Government intends that the adoption of these practices "sweep across the regional business fabric and the institutional fabric."
Marta Guerreiro highlighted tourism as "an industry that is rising as the main driving force of sustainable development on an international scale."