The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport revealed on the island of Santa Maria that the senior tourism programme "Meus Açores, Meus Amores" (My Azores, My Love) has registered over 2,500 applications.

Speaking at a dinner held with the first group of participants in Vila do Porto on Thursday, Vítor Fraga noted that this programme is "truly successful" as many Azoreans have expressed their desire of knowing another island.

The Regional Secretary also stressed that this initiative is the first "truly regional" programme, given that participants or applicants come from all islands; for the first time, the destinations cover all islands.
"We have nine islands; nine destinations," said Vítor Fraga.

This programme will cover a total of 940 participants, the Regional Secretary stated, pointing out "the significant growth compared to other senior tourism programmes that have been implemented over the past few years. In fact, there is a growth of about 30 percent, which is quite significant."

According to Vítor Fraga, the programme also "boosts the tourism industry, which is a very important activity sector for the Azores, and it will certainly be increasingly important in the future."

In this regard, the government official considered that this programme "is also a contribution provided by the Regional Government to all partners in the tourism sector through the promotion of domestic tourism, which is one of our main goals."

For Vítor Fraga, this first trip to Santa Maria shows that "one does not need to make long trips to have a remarkable experience that "will stay in our memory forever, being a reference for us and for all those around us."