Marta Guerreiro highlights tourism growth in 2019 under sustained evolution of the sector
The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism highlighted the growth of tourism in the Azores, pointing out that the Region broke the barrier of three million overnight stays in all types of accommodation last year.
"These impressive figures demonstrate the international projections that the Azores are achieving," Marta Guerreiro stressed, adding that there was "a 52% growth from 2016 to 2019, which represents an increase of more than one million overnight stays in a context of consolidation and sustained evolution."
“We have no doubt that these positive figures were only - and still are - possible due to the efforts of the private sector in conjunction with public policies. In fact, they have contributed to more and better investments, leveraging the economy of each of our islands and helping us to face the future of Azorean tourism with confidence," said the government official.
"More than the growth of overnight stays, we are satisfied with the evolution of the sector in terms of employment and also in terms revenue for companies and families," noted Marta Guerreiro.
In this regard, she stressed that "employment grew about 40% in the accommodation and restaurant sector in the 4th quarter of 2019, compared to the same period in 2016. According to her, “the approximately 2,700 jobs created in this sector represent 75% of the new jobs created in the Region over the last three years."
The Secretary for Tourism also evidenced that the Azores continue "to grow more in revenue than in overnight stays, pointing out the hotel sector, which is an excellent indicator of profitability for entrepreneurs."
Overall, the global revenue for the entire Region in this sector is estimated at over 300 million Euros.
Marta Guerreiro also emphasised that, “contrary to the global and national trend, in which long-term trips is becoming less prevalent, the average stay per accommodation in the Azores registered an increase of 1.5% in 2019, which is noteworthy."
For the Regional Secretary, these figures show that “there is still room to grow,” but always taking into consideration what has been the path followed by Azorean tourism, because it is “the only archipelago in the world and the only region in Portugal certified as a Sustainable Tourist Destination.”
Despite the important increases registered, overnight tourists represent only 3% of the total number of people in the Azores and, even considering the island of São Miguel as the one with the highest number of tourists, it only accounts for less than 4%," the government official said, adding that, on average, there were about 8.240 tourists per day throughout the Region.