In 2023, the Azores broke all records in the tourism sector, with tourist accommodation accounting for about 3.8 million overnight stays and 1.2 million guests.

The latest figures released by the Regional Statistics Service (SREA) indicate that "the overall number of overnight stays last year stood at 3.8 million, an increase of 15.1% compared to the previous year. The total number of guests reached 1.2 million, 14.8% more than in 2022. In that year, the average stay stood at 3.18 days."

According to the SREA, these are the highest figures since tourism data began to be recorded (2001).

Already in 2022, the number of overnight stays had surpassed the highest figure ever recorded in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the sector for the next two years.

The increase registered in 2023 was higher than that recorded in the country, which saw an "increase of 10.7% over the previous year."

It should also be noted that a record figure of 157.8 million Euros in revenue was generated in hospitality establishments, marking 2023 as the first year ever to exceed the 150 million-Euro figure in terms of overall revenue for hospitality in the Azores.

For Azorean tourism, last year was not only a record-breaking year but also the year when the Region won some of the world's most important awards in the sector - including the World Travel Awards for "Best Adventure Tourism Destination in the World."

The Azores are the first archipelago in the world to be certified as a "Sustainable Tourism Destination." In 2023, they were awarded "Silver Level IV," which further consolidates their leadership in terms of tourism sustainability, with a view to achieving "Gold Level" in 2024.

This evolution in certification "is due to the compliance of the Region with the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the international accreditation entity for sustainable tourism certification."

The standards adopted by EarthCheck stipulate an evolutionary certification process that requires the progressive achievement of four levels (silver, gold, platinum and master).

The prestigious National Geographic magazine also highlighted the Azores in the "Nature" category, describing them as "a land born of fire but now engulfed in green" and noting that "the Azores are working to secure their future."

This magazine had already highlighted the Azores as one of the top destinations for 2023 at the end of 2022.

Alongside these achievements, the "Azores Routes - Cultural and Landscape Itineraries" project won the National Tourism Award in the "Authentic Tourism" category, an initiative of Expresso newspaper and BPI bank, while Madalena do Pico was distinguished as one of the "Best Tourism Villages" by the World Tourism Organisation.

Recently, already in 2024, the Autonomous Region of the Azores renewed its Quality Coast award, an international prize awarded by Green Destinations that distinguishes coastal environmental quality for sustainable tourism.

The regional tourism performance and the various international awards and prizes demonstrate the positive evolution of tourism in the Azores, the high levels of quality that this destination has to offer, and the international recognition that the Region has achieved in one of the most competitive sectors of the global economy.

It should be noted that the Azores are the guest national destination at this year's edition of BTL-Lisbon Travel Market, which takes place in Lisbon next week.