Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal, Aug. 3, 2025 (Lusa) - University professor Daniela Fantoni Alvares argues that the Portuguese Azores islands should set limits on tourism growth and suggests creating an app to provide real-time visitor numbers.
“The big question is how to distribute the flows throughout the region, as well as within each island. The challenge is to manage the flows at the most popular tourist attractions, and this is done through data management, monitoring and tourist intelligence,” said the tourism expert in statements to the Lusa news agency.
The professor at the University of the Azores (UAc) warns that “tourist pressure already exists in some areas” of the region and suggests that studies be carried out to determine the visitor capacity of the areas most sought after by tourists.
Daniela Fantoni Alvares also proposes “the use of new technologies” in flow management.
“It is possible to alert tourists in real time, through apps, not to visit a certain area if it already has a high number of tourists,” she explains.
The university lecturer believes that stakeholders in the sector should “define and implement strategies to maximise the benefits” and “minimise the costs associated” with tourism.
“In my view, setting growth limits is one of the top priorities. What is the visitor capacity of each attraction? How many tourists can each island accommodate in a sustainable way?” she asks.
With a background in planning and tourism, Daniela Fantoni Alvares reinforces the importance of “balancing economic growth with the quality of life of communities”.
“Setting growth limits is equally important for the well-being of the Azores’ residents and for ensuring a quality experience for tourists,” she insists.
The assistant professor at UAc also proposes a "more sustainable" transport system, since the excessive use of rental cars can cause "increased pressure on public space" and pollution.
"We have to invest in a more sustainable model, with the development of public transport in the Azores. More efficient urban mobility, which makes life easier for residents and enables tourists to discover our resources," she argues, giving the example of investing in bicycles and cycle paths.
The university professor warns that the Azores are at a “strategic moment” but “in time to control and define the type of tourism they want”.
Daniela Fantoni Alvares points out, however, that the certification as “the world’s first sustainable archipelago” is “recognition of a lot of hard work”.
“We have to look at the experiences of established destinations and see their successes and failures. We have to see what we want to become and be clear about what we have to avoid in order not to become a mass destination,” she stresses.
In 2019, the Azores received the certificate of the world's first sustainable archipelago from EarthCheck, rising to the ‘gold’ category in November 2024.
The Azores recorded more than 516,000 overnight stays in tourist accommodation in June, an increase of 3.2% compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Regional Statistics Service (SREA).
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