The deputy and regional leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL) in the Azores advocated for a coordinated strategy to address the archipelago’s tourist seasonality.

He emphasized the need for collaboration between the Republic and Regional governments, as well as local authorities, to tackle this issue. Nuno Barata said:

We understand that it is a very important role for governments, whether they are from the Republic, the Region or local authorities, to [invest] in a concerted strategy [with the objective] of maintaining the notoriety of the Azores as a destination, in order to minimize the problem of seasonality on our islands.

Addressing Seasonal Tourism Challenges

The sole member of the Liberal Initiative in the Azorean parliament stated that the problem of seasonal tourism in the region will never end, but there are ways to minimize it.

He suggested creating events and promotional activities in destinations with harsh climates, noting that it is nice to come to the Azores where winters are mild.

After a meeting with the Local Accommodation Association of the Azores in Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island, Nuno Barata told journalists that promoting the region has been neglected in recent years.

He said to the media:

It has been neglected by local authorities, who push the problem onto business owners, sometimes pushing the problem onto the lack of flight availability, other times onto the lack of quality accommodation and the lack of entertainment on offer, when, in fact, what is needed is to go out into these markets and announce to the ‘four winds’ the quality of the Azores as a destination and what we can offer people in winter.

The person in charge acknowledges that air access to the archipelago is a problem and will always be a problem. However, he admits that there are several solutions.

Air Access and Inter-Island Connectivity Issues

Nuno Barata referred to the Azorean company Azores Airlines/SATA Internacional and said:

First of all, one of the solutions is not to maintain an international airline with accumulated losses of the amount that we have accumulated over the last few years, to pretend that we bring people.

He carried on and added that:

It is to keep our region served by SATA Air Açores [which ensures connections between the nine islands of the archipelago], in order to distribute these passengers equitably across all the islands and with availability so that when they arrive in São Miguel, Terceira or Faial, they can take flights to other islands, which is not happening at the moment.

Housing Shortage and Local Accommodation

The deputy and regional leader of IL/Azores believes that the strategy implemented at SATA Internacional over the years neglected essential investments.

Specifically, the lack of focus on distributing inter-island passengers is one of the problems.

Nuno Barata also acknowledged the housing shortage in the Azores archipelago, stating that it is not the fault of local accommodation.

He attributed the issue to excessive regulation and the numerous problems created for individuals and entrepreneurs.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the Municipal Councils and Regional Governments bear significant responsibility for not treating the housing sector as one that required public investment over the years.