Celebrating 25 years of operating to the Azores

I first met Albano Cymbron at a Portuguese travel workshop. For those who have no idea what a travel workshop is – well, it’s where suppliers of accommodation and overseas services meet tour operators. These meetings are normally arranged by the tourist offices on an annual basis.

The success of a holiday programme depends as much on the handling agent as it does on the tour operator. No matter how efficient and knowledgeable the tour operator, an indifferent and unimaginative incoming agent can spoil anything the tour operator is trying to achieve.

I am glad to say that we have also contributed to the islands in a variety of ways. We support the local charity for homeless boys, ‘Casa do Gaiato’, we have contributed to the way-marking of trails and we support the very good Bradt guide to the Azores by buying thousands of copies and giving these free of charge to our clients, to help them make the most of their trip. We have spoken at seminars to guide hoteliers as to how best to approach the UK market and we work closely with the tourist board and the regional airline, Sata International. In 2012 we sponsored, along with the tourist office, a World Garden featuring the stunning plants and scenery of the Azores at the Hampton Court Flower Show, and won a Silver Gilt medal.

Over the years we have come under a lot of pressure to support a direct flight from the UK to Ponta Delgada, the main airport into the Azorean archipelago. We resisted for a long time, feeling that a direct flight would change the nature of the islands. But, finally, because we felt we could attract the right, caring visitor to the Azores, we committed to paying for half the cost of the flight from Gatwick to Ponta Delgada and, in 2005, the airline started flying direct. From sending a few hundred clients every year we went to almost two thousand.

The local Government has now allowed Ryanair to fly from Stansted once a week. We hope that this does not signal a change in the type or quality of tourism that will now visit the islands. This is not, and never will be, a mass-market destination. After 25 years we have seen some – but not too many – changes (even, happily, after the arrival of EU money)! It’s the quality and not the quantity of tourists that matters and we hope that the Azorean Government will follow our advice and never forget just why our clients love the islands. We trust the Government’s judgement not to destroy the very qualities that have attracted us, and thousands of our clients, over the last 25 years.