Ponta Delgada, Portugal, Sept. 28, 2026 (Lusa) - The regional government of Portugal's Azores region is set to launch a new winter promotional campaign aimed at the domestic market, as part of a strategy to combat seasonality and boost tourist numbers across all the islands.
The measure was unveiled by the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, on the island of Graciosa during the World Tourism Day celebrations on Sunday, which were held under the theme «Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism».
The minister also revealed that the Azores Regional Air Route Development Fund has already been submitted to the European Commission for preliminary assessment, constituting an additional tool to support strengthening the region's external air connectivity.
Cabral reaffirmed that promoting tourism will remain a strategic priority for the regional government of the Azores, despite the more challenging outlook forecast for the IATA (International Air Transport Association) winter season 2026–2027.
The minister acknowledged that tourism in the Azores is going through «a challenging phase», but emphasised that «we cannot fall into a permanent cycle of pessimism or self-deprecation», pointing out that 2026 is proving to be the second-best year ever for tourism in the region.
To address lower demand during the winter months, Visit Azores «will significantly step up its promotional activities», with a particular focus on the domestic market and the low season, according to a press release from the Azorean Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM).
«The aim is clear: to raise the destination's profile, generate tourist flows across all the islands, reduce seasonality and create more opportunities for the sector throughout the year,» she emphasised, quoted in the press release.
The Regional Government states that, by the end of 2026, more than three dozen in-person promotional events are planned, involving journalists, tour operators and content creators from both the domestic and international markets.
The minister also highlighted the Azores' strong international appeal, noting that, during the summer of 2026, the archipelago was served by 16 airlines, via 30 routes, providing connections to 12 countries.
For 2027, the Brussels–Ponta Delgada route, operated by Transavia, and the Newark–Terceira route, operated by United Airlines, have already been announced.
According to Berta Cabral, the regional government of the Azores will remain committed to consolidating strategic markets and attracting new routes for the winter season, thereby enhancing the archipelago's external accessibility and contributing to a more balanced development of tourism throughout the year.
Referring to the theme of this year's celebrations, she noted that digital transformation and artificial intelligence will play a decisive role in the evolution of regional tourism, highlighting the investments made in digitalisation, smart monitoring and the efficient management of tourist flows, such as the MONITUR platform, the Integrated Smart Monitoring System for Tourist Flows in the Azores.
She also thanked business owners, workers, associations and public bodies for their contribution to the results achieved by the Azorean tourism sector, emphasising that the Azores possess «extraordinary resources, a unique identity and a recognised ability to turn challenges into opportunities».
APE/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
