The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stated in Ponta Delgada that the Regional Government has been working with INOVA - Institute of Technological Innovation of the Azores in a partnership aimed at promoting hydrotherapy in the archipelago.
"The development of tourism in the Azores involves the multiplicity of their tourism products. Accordingly, we are interested in promoting the health and wellness tourism by enhancing the Region's endogenous resources, namely pumice as well as thermal water and mud, and their use for tourism purposes," said Marta Guerreiro.
The Regional Secretary spoke on the signing of a contract-programme for the development, promotion and qualification of the tourism offer with INOVA with a view to developing the i-TERMAL project - Innovation in Hydrotherapy and Thermal Tourism 2019, representing an investment of 70 thousand Euros.
According to the government official, this project enables "the implementation of innovation strategies in hydrotherapy and the enhancement of geo-environmental resources of the Azores, through new products. They have the potential to generate gains in health and wellness tourism as well as in dermocosmetic and skincare cluster."
The Secretary for Tourism stated that this initiative will "ensure the sustainable management of regional hydrothermal resources, promote the emergence of new businesses in this area and provide information leading to the development of new products and services based on these resources. Additionally, it will contribute to the improvement of the regional tourism offer with the organisation of workshops, technical meetings and training courses, being essential components in the certification process of hot springs and thermal spas in the Azores.
"The high investment potential in thermal and mineral waters, including their use by spas and wellness centres, is undeniable," stressed the Regional Secretary.
"With the growth of the tourism sector, it is crucial to offer activities that complement and diversify our offer, while contributing to the promotion of the Azores destination abroad," added the government official.
According to Marta Guerreiro, "the Regional Government believes that this partnership is fundamental for a determined and sustained promotion of thermal tourism in the archipelago, especially in the national and European context. It will also increase the average length of stay, boost the revenue from this activity and generate flows of tourists throughout the year."