The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport stated in Lisbon that the signing of a protocol between the Regional Government and Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Services of Portugal (AHRESP) creates the conditions that will make local cuisine and oenology as truly regional tourism products.
Signed at the Azores stand at BTL-International Tourism Fair, the protocol is mainly intended to establish a programme for the promotion of the gastronomy and wine heritage of the Azores.
The initiative will be carried out through assessment audits, followed by workshops and training courses. It will culminate with the recognition of good practices adopted by restaurants. It aims to cover about two hundred restaurants throughout the Region.
Vítor Fraga highlighted the importance of qualification and development of the tourism offer, noting that this initiative "clearly falls within the Government's strategic goals for the tourism sector."
"We want to raise the quality levels. Its recognition is associated with a brand that is now known in the domestic market by all, which is the Food and Wine Selection," the government official said, adding that this brand should be harmony with the Azores Brand.
"Hence, we will clearly have two brands playing a complementary role in a perspective of mutual promotion, which brings added valued to the establishments that will join the initiative," noted the Regional Secretary.
Vítor Fraga revealed that this effort is primarily focused on the qualification of the Region's cuisine and its promotion as a differentiating aspect of our tourism offer, turning it into a truly strategic and competitive tourism product for all islands of the archipelago.
"We have a distinctive and rich gastronomic offer based on our traditions and it is urgent to enhance it as true tourism product on all islands," the Regional Secretariat said, adding that encouraging the consumption of traditional products, duly qualified, and the promotion of Azorean certified wines are other goals of this initiative.
"The aim is to promote our companies in the hotel and restaurant sector by introducing them in the Food and Wine Selection," said the government official.
In his speech, Vítor Fraga highlighted the importance that tourism has as driving force for the development of other sectors.
"In restaurant sector, this importance is evident, particularly in the agri-food industry. Tourism plays a key role in inducing the development of these sectors.
The Secretary for Tourism also stressed that the Region should present a tourism image with differentiating factors when competing with other destinations, noting the importance of highlighting the various aspects of each island.
"It is the effect of complementarity between islands that makes the Azores a truly rich tourist destination with strong chances of achieving success that is also concerned with its economic, environmental and social sustainability," said Vítor Fraga.