Tourism and mobility in the Azores receive €404.5 million in 2027

A regional Secretary of Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure of the Azores, Berta Cabral, said today that his department will invest 404.5 million euros in 2027, after the “absolute priority” for the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

Speaking at the Economics Committee in Horta in the context of the discussion of the proposals for the Azores Plan and Budget for 2027, Berta Cabral said that in 2026 the Regional Government gave the “absolute priority and assumed to the completion of the implementation of the RRP”.

The governor said that once this goal has been met, it is intended to “retake investments that awaited their priority according to the PRR”.

Berta Cabral said that “investment in tourism will be greatly strengthened by about 58%”, which is “one of the strategic priorities of the Plan for 2027 and will have an allocation of €17.2 million”.

The Government of the Azores intends to invest in external promotion, “giving Visit Azores the necessary resources to strengthen the region’s notoriety and its position as a sustainable destination of nature and adventure”.

Berta Cabral said that incentives for tourism promotion and animation will be maintained, with “focus on initiatives with relevant impacts especially outside the high season”, and the Azores Air Routes Fund will be implemented, which has been worked with the European Commission.

The strengthening of the values for participation in international fairs, together with the exploitation of social networks, as well as seasonal campaigns, are other goals, in addition to the “balanced and sustainable investment of destiny”.

Berta Cabral also revealed that through program contracts and applications for community funds, Ports of the Azores will invest about 140 million euros, highlighting the construction of the port of Lajes das Flores, the coastal protection and planning of the pier of Pico, the multi-purpose terminal of Praia da Vitória, among other projects.

The Government of the Azores will also invest in tugboats for Praia da Vitória and Ponta Delgada.

In airport terms, Berta Cabral announced an investment of EUR 15.8 million, with emphasis on the civil airport of the Base das Lajes, expansion of the Pico runway and remodeling of the São Jorge and Flores airports.

The Azorean executive will also invest EUR 100 million in public service obligations, along with the provision of service for mobility of the Azores through SATA and Atlanticoline.

“ This is a real cost that we have in terms of air, sea and land mobility, depending on our nine islands, which serves our economic activity and our tourism, our health and education and social welfare,” said Berta Cabral.

According to Berta Cabral, after “achieving the demanding challenge of the RRP, a new cycle of public investment aimed at economic growth, competitiveness and cohesion of the Azores begins”.

The region's budget for 2027 amounts to EUR 2.5 billion, of which EUR 650 million is for investment under the direct responsibility of the Government of the Azores.