The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport announced today that the support awarded by the Regional Directorate for Tourism to sports teams participating in national and international competitions for the promotion of the Azores Destination will have a new framework.

Vítor Fraga spoke at the signing ceremony of a cooperation protocol between SATA and Grupo Desportivo Comercial for the organisation of SATA Rallye Açores. As the government official revealed, the Government will continue to support the Azorean teams participating in national and international competitions, however he stressed that "we must consider these investments and support measures in a perspective of economic return."

Thus, there must be "clear and objective parameters to measure the economic return of these support measures" and when it happens "it is not a cost, it is rather an investment."

Vítor Fraga added that the "investments with economic return will be always be the Government's goal." The government official noted that in the cases when there are uncertainties on the economic return of an investment, the support will not be awarded as "our resources are increasingly scarce" and "we must be sure of what we are doing."

The Regional Secretary assured that the Government of the Azores will "stipulate specific parameters to measure the return of every investment," allowing the Government "to focus on what is essential, which is the projection of the Azores and the increase of tourism flows to the Azores" in order to "generate wealth and actively contribute to the improvement of our region."

For Vítor Fraga, SATA Rallye Açores is a good example of an event in which it is worth investing as this is "an investment that benefits the Azores and the Azores destination," which is our goal "to increase tourism flows to the Azores.”

SATA Rallye Açores will have worldwide projection, being broadcast live and pre-recorded over seven hours to an audience of millions of viewers.