The European Best Destinations elected the Azores as a safe holiday destination in 2021.
“When, in 2020, the travel and life habits of all of us changed dramatically, the Azores remained as a possibility for a safe, natural and sustainable experience. In 2021, confidence in the archipelago remains, and European Best Destinations has already considered it as one of the safest holiday destinations ”, highlights a statement from the Azores Tourism Region.
According to this document, the decision was based “on criteria such as the preventive measures taken, the recommendations put into practice by the authorities on arrival at hotels, shops and restaurants, and the number of active cases in Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants”, adding that “the distinction of the European cultural and tourist promotion website reinforces the reliability of the Azorean islands when choosing where to take a holiday this year”.
“At the origin of the certification, there is the commitment taken very seriously by all tourism entities to comply with the prevention rules, combined with a natural setting difficult to find elsewhere, and responsible and conscious hospitality”, explains Luís Capdeville Botelho, CEO of the Azores Tourism Association.
According to this official, “the presentation of a screening test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, using the RT-PCR methodology, with a negative result on arrival, the many outdoor activities, contact with nature and tourism always make the Azores a mandatory destination nowadays, in which those who come do not have to worry, but relax and enjoy the experience ”.
For the CEO of the Azores Tourism Association, the certification confirms that all the efforts and work of the last few months in implementing measures that maintain confidence in the destination, and in showing that there is a place in the world where it is possible to travel without worries were worth worth it.
“The sustainable and natural component is also a major factor in this distinction. Due to all the conditions they offer to be able to enjoy in freedom and with plenty of space for everyone, the nine islands assert themselves as an ideal destination for moments of rest. From hiking in full communion with nature to ‘surfing’, diving and whale watching, as well as ‘canyoning’ through the islands within, it is always possible to collect adventures, in a comfortable and relaxed way ”, underlines the statement.
