With the agreement, ECTAA pledges to promote the Azores as its preferred destination among the 70.000 travel agents and tour operators across Europe, highlighting the diversity of travel and tourism products that the nine volcanic islands scattered across the mid-Atlantic have to offer.
Starting January 2014, the Azores have become the Preferred Destination of the European umbrella association of travel agents and tour operators. The agreement signed between ECTAA and the Azores will bring mutual benefits to both travel agents and tour operators regrouped within ECTAA and the Azores.
With the agreement, ECTAA pledges to promote the Azores as its preferred destination among the 70.000 travel agents and tour operators across Europe, highlighting the diversity of travel and tourism products that the nine volcanic islands scattered across the mid-Atlantic have to offer, ranging from an attractive long coastline ideal for sailing, fishing, whale watching, beautiful nature parks, mountains and lakes for walking and trekking tours, interesting culture and history, fine gastronomy as well as many conference and meeting venues. ECTAA will become an essential partner in the travel and tourism promotion programme outside of the Azores by fostering relations between European travel agents and tour operators with the local destination management companies and other partners. The objective is to nurture the image of the Azores as one of the most attractive year-round destinations in Europe.
The ‘Preferred Destination’ agreement was officially signed by the Regional Secretary for Tourism of the Azores, Mr Vitor Fraga, and ECTAA in 2013 in the Island of Pico and is coming into force in January 2014 for one year. It is the result of joint efforts by the Government of the Azores, the Azores Tourism Board, the Portuguese Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, APAVT, and ECTAA.
As part of the agreement, ECTAA will organise its bi-annual meeting at the beginning of June 2014 in Ponta Delgada – San Miguel, the biggest of the nine Azores islands. This will be an opportunity for the 32 member associations of ECTAA to get acquainted with this destination and possibly start prospecting for future congresses of travel agents and tour operators in the Azores. In addition ECTAA will promote the destination amongst its Members through all its communication channels, including its website, newsletter and public presentations.
Said Mr Joao Bettencourt, Regional Director of the Azores Tourism Board: “I am, truly, honored that ECTAA has chosen the Azores to be its “2014 Preferred Destination, and it is with no doubt, a high moment for the promotion of the Azores, considering the importance of this Association, since it represents the travel agents and tour operators of 30 European countries vis-a-vis the EU Institutions and international organizations such as UNWTO and IATA. I am already very proud imagining the Azores logo in all informative material published by ECTAA to its Members and to the public, and I’m truly honored to host ECTAA’s bi-annual meeting in May 2014 in Ponta-Delgada. We are looking forward to welcoming the ECTAA Members in the Azores, which has been considered as the world’s second best island for sustainable tourism by the magazine National Geographic Traveler.”
President of ECTAA, Mr. Boris Zgomba, added: “I believe that this agreement will bring mutual benefits for the two parties and will foster strong relations between the Azores incoming agents and our Members. We hope to be a positive catalyst for the promotion of the tourism of the Azores archipelago”.
ECTAA regroups the national associations of travel agents and tour operators of 30 European countries, of which 26 are within the European Union, and represents some 70.000 enterprises.
The Azores Tourism Board promotes tourism in the nine islands that make up the Azores archipelago.
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