Azores Situation Report Wednesday February 26th 2025

Regional Tourism Inspectorate conducted 535 inspection and detection actions and received 446 complaints in 2024

The Regional Tourism Inspectorate (IRTu), under the administration of the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, received 446 complaints last year. These included 37 that fell within the remit of other entities, for which reason they were forwarded to the appropriate department.

According to data now released by IRTu, among the 409 complaints investigated, besides those registered in the complaints book, 27 were received via the electronic complaints book platform and 35 via the respective electronic complaints system ( https://gra.formstack.com/forms/pedido_info ).

The islands with the highest concentration of tourism services and activities register the highest number of complaints, namely São Miguel and Terceira.

Most complaints (65.77%) concern tourist accommodation establishments, with 16% focusing on issues regarding the operation/conservation of facilities/infrastructures and 53% on complaints about the provision of services.

In 2024, there was a very significant increase in the number of complaints received compared to 2023. This increase is in line with the growth in tourism demand and supply.

IRTu conducted 535 inspection and detection actions, covering 216 tourist accommodation establishments and 92 tourist entertainment companies. Among the overall number of actions, 216 were carried out around ​​tourist accommodation (40% of the total).

84 accommodations were found to be illegal, 64 were found to be irregular and 79 detection actions were carried out in places of significant tourist interest. For IRTu, this is a worrying sign as it indicates a considerable number of entities operating without registration/licenses.

IRTu noted that detecting these situations is becoming increasingly difficult due to some “sophistication” in concealing illegal activities.

However, it stressed that most situations detected have resulted in corrective actions/legalization of the situations identified.

In 2024, 148 actions were conducted to detect unregistered/licensed accommodation and registered accommodation in irregular situations, through the analysis of various online booking platforms.

With a view to detecting (land-based) tourism activities and occupations by unregistered companies or professionals, 79 detection actions were carried out in places of major tourist interest, in addition to ports and airports.

One of IRTu’s main goals is to help reduce the parallel and/or unregistered economy, in addition to detecting the supply of unlicensed/registered accommodation and the supply of registered accommodation in irregular situations.

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Berta Cabral, argued that “the development of regional tourism depends directly on the quality of the experiences offered. These inspections identify and help eliminate inappropriate practices, instilling the best practices and actions desired standards among operators.”

The Regional Tourism Inspectorate has intensified its inspections in the tourist accommodation sector, focusing on inspections of registered local accommodations. It has also identified accommodations operating without the appropriate license or registration and detected irregularities in registered/licensed units, mostly using online monitoring of tourist accommodation booking platforms.

Last year was marked by a significant development of the tourist offer in the Azores, with a significant increase in accommodation available, both in tourist developments and local accommodation units. There was also an increase in tourist entertainment activities.

Simultaneously, the Azores continued to consolidate its position as a tourist destination of choice, with a significant increase in demand. This growth, fueled by the archipelago’s growing reputation, has contributed to a reduction in seasonality.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 19th February 2025 

Thousands of Azoreans illegally living in the State of Massachusetts

Thousands of undocumented Azoreans are currently living in a climate of apprehension in the state of Massachusetts, in the United States. Senator Michael Rodrigues assured that he is monitoring the situation and reinforced his commitment to helping the Azorean community.

“There may be thousands of people in the Azorean diaspora who do not have the necessary documents. But they are good members of society: they work hard, pay their bills, pay taxes and contribute to their communities,” said Senator Michael Rodrigues, elected by the State of Massachusetts, after a meeting with the president of the Regional Government.

According to the Portuguese-born senator, the community between Fall River, New Bedford (Massachusetts) and East Providence (Rhode Island) is currently “very anxious”, as it is “a hard-working community, made up of committed individuals, families and children”, in which, for now, these anti-immigration policies have not yet been felt. Even so, the senator states that both he and the other members of the delegation in the region are aware of the situation, revealing that they “want to do everything in our power to help”, as he stressed yesterday to José Manuel Bolieiro.

Young doctors from the Azores and Madeira remain in the archipelagos for quality of life

Some young doctors from the Azores and Madeira prefer to work in the archipelagos for family reasons and for the “quality of life”, but there are those who opt for other destinations, in the country and abroad, seeking better working conditions.

Man arrested in Ribeira Grande after trying to escape from PSP with stolen vehicle

The PSP arrested, in flagrante delicto, in Ribeira Grande, a man suspected of stealing a vehicle, who tried to flee when approached by officers

The 37-year-old man was arrested on Friday, in the city of Ribeira Grande, during a policing action, after the defendant’s “suspicious behavior” caught the attention of the police, according to a statement from the PSP Regional Command.

“The suspect carried out several evasive maneuvers, with the clear intention of preventing the police from approaching him, and immobilized the vehicle he was driving after a few kilometers, fleeing on foot,” said the PSP, indicating that the man ended up being controlled by the police “a few hundred meters from the vehicle.”

Authorities found that the suspect was driving a vehicle “stolen in the area of ​​the Ribeira Grande police station”.

The suspect was given, by the judicial authority, “a sentence of 8 months in prison, suspended for 1 year and 6 months, in a summary trial, and he is also required to undergo treatment for his drug addiction”, reveals the PSP.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 12th February 2025

Man’s body found near Lagoa pools

The body of a man was found this Tuesday east of the Lagoa pools, on the island of São Miguel, with the causes of the occurrence unknown, the National Maritime Authority said.

The Port Captain and Local Commander of the Maritime Police of Ponta Delgada and Vila do Porto, António Peiriço, explained that the alert was given, via 112, by a member of the public who had seen the body of a man “east of the Lagoa pools”.

According to the official, resources and elements from the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Ponta Delgada and the Lifeguard Station were immediately dispatched to the site, and the body was transported to the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, in Ponta Delgada, at around 1:00 pm.

António Peiriço added that the causes of the man’s death, “still unidentified”, are unknown.

Earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale felt in Graciosa

An earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale was felt on the island of Graciosa this Monday, reported the Azores Seismo-volcaeic Information and Surveillance Centre (CIVISA)

According to CIVISA, the earthquake occurred at 10:40 am and had its epicentre approximately 22 kilometres west of Vitória, on the island of Graciosa.

“According to the information available so far, the earthquake was felt with maximum intensity IV (Modified Mercalli Scale) in Santa Cruz da Graciosa, Guadalupe, São Mateus and Luz (municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa)”, adds CIVISA.

Azores to receive 10 million euros to manage marine protected areas

The Azores will receive 10 million euros to help implement the project to expand marine protected areas and to support the restructuring of the fishing sector, according to a memorandum signed on the island of Faial.

“The Blue Azores program will be supported with funding for its implementation of at least 10.4 million dollars (10 million euros), which will be invested over the next five years.

This funding will allow the region to “effectively implement” the network of marine protected areas, which now covers 30% of the Azores sea, following the approval, in October 2024, of a regional decree that created “the largest network of marine protected areas in the North Atlantic”, with more than 287 thousand square kilometres.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 5th February 2025

Research resumes for missing fisherman on Santa Maria Island

Authorities resumed searches on Monday morning to try to locate a 34-year-old fisherman who is missing in Vila do Porto, on the island of Santa Maria.

Search operations are coordinated by the harbour captain and Local Commander of the Maritime Police of Vila do Porto.

According to a statement from AMN, elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police and the Port Authority of Vila do Porto and the Volunteer Fire Department of Santa Maria, a ship from the Portuguese Navy and an aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force are involved.

The fisherman was reported missing on Saturday, “after allegedly not returning from fishing.”

Following an alert received at 8:45 pm last Saturday, searches were initiated by the Local Command of the Maritime Police and the Port Authority of Vila do Porto.

AMN said in a press release on Sunday that the alert came from a family member, who reported that the man “had not returned from fishing”.

Immediately after the alert, elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Vila do Porto began searches between Ponta do Marvão and Prainha, having been interrupted at 00:00 on Sunday.

Authorities resumed operations on Sunday morning, with elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police, the Port Authority of Vila do Porto and the Volunteer Fire Department of Santa Maria, and with the involvement of an aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force.

The search operations, coordinated by the port captain and Local Commander of the Maritime Police of Vila do Porto, were interrupted at the end of Sunday afternoon, “without having found the victim”.

The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family.

Man arrested in Horta for theft inside a residence

The PSP of Horta, on the island of Faial, arrested, in flagrante delicto, a 24-year-old man, for the alleged practice of the crime of theft inside a residence, in the parish of Praia do Almoxarife

According to a statement from the Azores PSP Regional Command, “1000 euros in cash and various objects originating from other criminal offences committed by the suspect were seized and recovered.

The defendant, who already had a criminal record for the same criminal activity, after being brought to his first judicial interrogation, was subject to “the obligation to report periodically to the Police Station, a ban on frequenting places associated with the sale and/or consumption of narcotics, a ban on contact with any person involved in the sale and/or consumption of narcotics and subject to treatment for drug addiction in an institution”.

The Horta Police Division recommends that “all citizens, whenever they become aware of suspicious situations or those related to the practice of illicit activities, contact, as soon as possible and by any means, any PSP Police Station in order to trigger police intervention in a timely manner and in order to better serve the community”.

My Saúde Açores application available from this Tuesday for all users in the archipelago

The ‘My Saúde Açores’ application, which allows you to schedule appointments and access telemedicine, among other features, is available from yesterday for all users in the archipelago, revealed the regional secretary for Health and Social Security

One of the main objectives of this application is to improve proximity and accessibility to healthcare for our users

Budgeted at 3.5 million euros, the application is part of the Azores Digital Hospital project, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), for a total of 30 million euros.

After an initial phase, in which it was tested in a closed environment for around a month on the island of São Miguel, ‘My Saúde Açores’ is now open to the entire population of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

The application will allow, for example, the scheduling and request of consultations, within the scope of primary health care, and the carrying out of teleconsultations, which will be an added value especially on islands without a hospital.

To access the application, users must enter their user number, which appears on their Citizen Card, and associate a mobile phone number, but the same mobile phone number can be associated with several users.

This way it is possible to register older people who do not use this type of tool, but whose family members or carers may have access to appointments or some type of information that concerns them.

The application will also present “informative content”, to “contribute to improving health literacy”, and may have alerts from the Regional Health Directorate or other institutions of the Regional Health Service.

During the first half of the year, new tools will be introduced.

There will be interoperability between the different health systems, both in hospitals and in the island’s health units. This has been a very strong demand from health professionals,

In addition to the User Portal, a portal will be created for doctors and another for boards of directors.

As part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the goal was set for the application to have 25,000 hits by September.

Government of the Azores with an action plan to combat the Asian hornet

An action plan to determine the location and geographic extent affected by the Asian hornet has been implemented by the Government of the Azores, following the detection of the insect in the region, the regional executive announced.

The plan, implemented by the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, Veterinary and Food and the Agrarian Development Service of São Miguel, includes partnerships with several entities in the fight against and attempt to eradicate the Asian wasp.

According to a press release from the Azorean executive, on January 27th the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, Veterinary and Food was informed of the “existence of a wasp nest on a private property, in Areias de Rabo de Peixe, São Miguel Island”.

The nest was collected and, “after technical expertise, it was found that it belonged to individuals of the species Vespa Velutina Nigrithorax, commonly known as the Asian wasp”.

According to the Regional Government, this is a “predatory insect, causing serious negative impacts on the environment, biodiversity and beekeeping, and is also a safety problem for the population, as it is very aggressive when disturbed”.

The action plan “with a view to determining the location and geographical extent affected by this insect” includes the creation of a brigade specializing in the distribution, assembly and monitoring of wasp traps and a security perimeter within a five-kilometre radius of the outbreak.

Around 30 traps were installed on surrounding land and in the 18 apiaries within the intervention perimeter.

The Azorean executive states that the insect arrived on the continent in 2011, and at the time, a preventive surveillance system was established in the Azores for the presence of the insect.

“Until this sighting, no evidence had been detected” of its presence in the region, concludes the Government of the Azores.