Azores chosen for next ABTA Convention
The islands of the Azores have been chosen for next year’s ABTA Convention.
The event will be held in the capital, Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, on October 9-11.
The string of nine islands in the Atlantic Ocean are about 1,300 kilometers west of Portugal’s mainland.
Azores Airlines will provide delegates with specially scheduled flights from Gatwick airport.
There are daily flights to the Azores which can also be made from Lisbon for delegates who prefer to travel via the Portuguese capital.
The event will be held at the historic Teatro Micalense, which is a short distance from the main host hotel, the Hotel Azor, which opened earlier this year.
The five-star hotel, on the marina in Ponta Delgada, will also play host to the Convention bar.
ABTA Chairman Noel Josephides said: "The Azores islands are a truly stunning location, one of the world’s last unspoilt wildernesses, with beautiful countryside offset dramatically by the Atlantic Ocean.
"Ponta Delgada, our host city, is a charming location with some wonderful old world buildings with restaurants offering the best in Portuguese cuisine and I know delegates will be very warmly welcomed by the local people."
Pedro Costa Ferreira, president of Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism, said: "The UK is Portugal’s number one market, and whilst there is still a lot of room to grow in the most well-known Portuguese destinations such as Lisbon, Algarve or Madeira, we have decided to disclose one of our best kept secrets: The Azores Islands.
"The Azores are a hidden treasure which I’m sure British tourists will absolutely fall in love with. A staggering landscape, considered one of the most beautiful places to visit by National Geographic, the Azores offer a wide range of activities, from whale watching and swimming with dolphins to mountain climbing and trekking, bathing in hot spring waters, golf, and a lot more – all topped by fantastic Portuguese hospitality."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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