The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport conveyed his belief that the Azores will continue to "tread a path of success," which will allow the Region to accomplish the "goal of having a sustainable tourism sector that generates wealth and actively contributes to the maintenance and creation of jobs."

Speaking at the launch of the 39th Congress of the Portuguese Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism (APAVT), which will be held on the island of Terceira in December, Vítor Fraga stressed that the Azores are "a place where people can recover the joy of living and regain strength in a quality destination that has the potential to provide unforgettable moments" to visitors.

The Regional Secretary also pointed out that the archipelago has the "necessary conditions for the organisation of events at various levels, such as cultural, sports and corporate events as well as team building actions."
 
For Vítor Fraga, it is important "to increase the available tourism supply with the creation of products that combine cultural and environmental tourism and the development of MI - Meeting Industry, whose importance is vital to the regional economy not only for its multiplying effect, but also for reducing seasonality" in the regional tourism sector.

According to him, all of this "is becoming a reality thanks to the development of the tourism sector, which has made possible the organisation of this Congress in Angra do Heroísmo."

However, Vítor Fraga noted that "some have failed to realise that success is only achieved with a full coordination of efforts." In this context, the Regional Secretary mentioned the recently created National Strategic Tourism Plan (PENT) in which "the National Government made a point of ignoring almost all" the contributions made by Azorean authorities "without providing any justification for this attitude."

Therefore, the Regional Secretary considered that the National Government turned PENT, "which could have been important for all of us, into a completely useless document regarding the Azores."

Vítor Fraga noted that we do not work that way in the Azores. The government official recalled that the options taken by the Region must follow "a path towards the effective and permanent collaboration between all parties in the sector to leverage the knowledge and contributions of those who have an in-depth knowledge on the matters under discussion," leaving no one behind.

The Regional Secretary also conveyed his belief that the 39th Congress of APAVT will be a "success," adding that he expects that its results "may reflect the continuity of a joint effort in the search for the best strategies for Tourism."