Vítor Fraga considers that SATA Rallye Açores is "perfect combination between sport and promotion of the Azores Destination"
The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport said that SATA Rallye Açores is a perfect combination between sport, in this case motor sport, and the promotion of the Azores Destination.
Vítor Fraga conveyed his belief to the organisers of the event during the presentation ceremony of the 48th edition of the most important motorsport event in the Azores.
"In addition to being a success, the organisation of SATA Rallye Açores is an investment that benefits the Azores and promotion of the Azores Destination with the purpose of increasing tourism flows," stated the Regional Secretary at the ceremony held on Wednesday.
This year, the inclusion of this competition in the European Rallye Championship (FIA ERC) ensures "the projection of the Azores worldwide, reaching more than 100 million viewers" through extensive television coverage with four hours of live broadcast on Euronews and two hours of live broadcast on the Internet at the official website of FIA ERC
For Vítor Fraga, this is "a unique opportunity that must be seized in order to promote the best we have to offer in the Azores." The government official defended that this rallye, as other events, cannot "be seen as an event to project the Azores Destination abroad; it should be also regarded as an event with the potentiality of increasing tourism flows to the Region."
Moreover, the Regional Secretary assured that the Government will continue to invest in events with economic return to the Azores and conveyed his belief that SATA Rallye Açores is an event that "gives that assurance" either in the external projection of the Region or in the increase of tourism flows.
SATA Rallye Açores, concluded Vítor Fraga, is "a major contribution to our goal of enhancing the external projection of the Azores and increasing tourism flows to the Region."
Therefore, the success of SATA Rallye Açores is "the success of the Azores and not just of a sports event promoted by Grupo Desportivo Comercial or Grupo SATA."