Segundo vários sites holandeses que já começaram a publicitar este novo destino [site 1 | site 2 | site 3], a operação terá lugar às segundas-feiras e será realizada pela companhia aérea TUIfly recorrendo a uma aeronave Boeing 737-800, a qual dispõe de 183 lugares. Esta é uma rota que estará disponível para venda em meados de outubro e que será conjugada com uma escala em São Miguel, sendo que às sextas-feiras o mesmo operador turístico efetuará uma rotação entre a Holanda e a Terceira, também conjugada com uma escala em São Miguel.
O diretor da TUI, Luc Lentjes, afirmou que o lançamento desta nova rota com a ilha montanha teve origem nos pedidos dos clientes e com o facto de, a partir do Pico, se poder chegar a outras ilhas de barco, como o Faial e São Jorge.
Esta é uma excelente notícia para a ilha do Pico, em particular, e para todas as ilhas do Triângulo, em geral. É de salientar que é a primeira vez que um operador privado entra diretamente pelo Pico, tendo escolhido esta ilha e não outra como porta de entrada para o Triângulo.
Depois de recentemente ter havido um dia histórico no aeroporto do Pico com o primeiro voo internacional para fora do espaço Schengen, depois de mais uma vez ter sido registado na ilha montanha o maior crescimento a nível Açores no que respeita aos passageiros aéreos desembarcados, esta operação da TUI vem comprovar que o Pico é um destino com imensa procura.
Para finalizar, aqui fica uma pequena reflexão sobre o próximo verão de 2016: a maior companhia turística do mundo decide criar uma rota entre o norte da Europa e o Pico; por outro lado, a companhia aérea regional dos Açores SATA tem planos para reduzir o número de voos para a ilha montanha! Parece que há qualquer coisa que não bate certo...
Haja saúde!
[Os bilhetes para este voo podem ser adquiridos clicando neste link.]
[Link para tudo sobre o primeiro voo Amesterdão-Pico-Amesterdão.]
"Esta é uma excelente notícia para a ilha do Pico".
ResponderEliminarHow is it good news for me?
It's only good news for those who make money from tourism, not the rest of us.
Hello usernameoo7,
EliminarIf we only take into consideration a small scale, looks like that only those who are related with the tourism activity will make money.
However, if we look at the big picture, then my sentence becomes clear. Here are some examples:
- More people in Pico means that more money will be spend either at restaurants or supermarkets or both, since people have to eat;
- More people in Pico also requires that many facilities have to be prepared, like health facilities, meaning that it will be easier to demand more from the azorean government (about this specific issue, I agree with what you said in a previous comment, where you stated that better health facilities should be provided to Pico inhabitants);
- More people in Pico is also a synonym of more beds or houses where they stay, and these places need to be built and maintained, which also means more money for local contractors and for local construction materials shops;
All of the previous examples also generate employment, meaning that more people in Pico indirectly helps all the local economy.
Of course, nothing will be the same when more tourists come to Pico. But that is the normal course of history. Imagine that someone states that Pico without cellphones would be better, since it would make life harder for some criminals or drugs dealers... Imagine that someone states that Pico without asphalt roads would look nicer and similar to the ancient times... Imagine that someone states that Internet, Radio and TV in Pico are "erasing" some specific characteristics of Pico inhabitants, like accents or traditional "festas", while at the same time making people selfish, etc...
The goal is to learn with the best examples throughout the world and adjust them to Pico reality. Instead of hotels or hostels, let's use tradicional black stone houses; instead of imported international food, let's serve local meat or fresh fish (and why not show how to catch the fish?); instead of big DJ's parties, let's teach chamarrita to the tourists; instead of having cable tv in the places where visitors sleep, let's have books or guides about Pico culture; instead of saying that a rainy day is a bad day for tourism, let's show museums, caves, admire rainbows and some "ribeiras" that only show up in those occasions!
Considering the pros and cons, "esta é uma excelente notícia para a ilha do Pico".
Haja saúde!
I respectfully disagree. I always hear the argument about how expanding everything and everybody having more money around and more of everything somehow makes everybody happier. It's simply not true in practice, nor is it sustainable. Growth is NOT a good thing, STABILITY is. I saw that with my own eyes. It is precisely because places have become over-populated that people want to escape to places like Pico, I am guilty of that.
ResponderEliminarDo you think Pico growing into a Sao Miguel is a good thing? Or Ponta Delgada into a large city? What you advocate is ever increasing construction and population and having the very same, bigger, problems populated places have. That's how places *actually* develop, historically, look at highly populated places.
Pico can increase income from re-generating it's vineyards, farming and forestry and high-quality, high-cost eco-tourism and from people who came for peace spending their retirement money here, like me. Why is it me who wants the place to stay as it is and you who advocates change?
Maybe those who like crowds and think that populated places give a better life should go and see what it is really like by living where it is crowded and that quality of life, the world is filling with such places. It is tranquility that is becoming the precious commodity.
Space, peace and good neighbours are getting more and more rare, so let Pico REMAIN the peaceful island of the Azores. That is why I retired to Pico and while I live here I will spend more here over my lifetime than summer tourists do. I could of course stop that and up my roots yet again if it becomes necessary.
As for not having asphalt roads on Pico, were the original Picorotos an unhappy lot? I doubt it!
About the cave, as I said, on rainy days it is closed to those who haven't pre-booked. There can be a waiting list of days. It is already running near full capacity.
About stone Tourist houses. Firstly, the corner rocks usually come from taking down the real thing elsewhere. Also, look at the development of Stone Adegas at the back of Sao Roque and look at what they actually put up in front of it! Also look at the ugly cement Pylons and big cables EDA put in front of everything, no matter how good it looks.
Look accross to Sao Jorge and imagine how it looked without all the white dots all over it.
If you think those who influence development and the future of Pico can do it in the way you dream, I only need to point you at the monstrosity that has destroyed Madalena, in practice.
Sorry to be so negative and bye for now.
Hello again,
EliminarI understand and respect your point of view. Additionally, I think we agree in one issue: we both want the best for Pico. However, we have slightly different views of the path to attain that goal.
You stated that a good thing is stability and I agree; however, and this is a fact, Pico is losing population and services, for instance, health care ones. So stability is not happening.
You asked me if “Pico growing into a Sao Miguel is a good thing?” My answer is no, and I believe, as stated in a previous comment regarding another post, that the number of tourists is mainly "controlled" by the number of available beds and not by the number of flights itself, so if the government limits the beds till a sustainable number, there should be no problem. I know what it is to live in a crowded place, which means that I think that Pico can still support more tourists and be a calm place at the same time.
Moreover, you said that I advocate some changes and I do, because your suggestions of income generation by re-generating it's vineyards, farming and forestry and high-quality, high-cost eco-tourism and from people who came for peace spending their retirement money here, like you, are wonderful but for that you need people to work on them or to help new residents like yourself.
When Pico had its landscape almost covered by non-abandoned vineyards, about 30 thousand inhabitants lived on this island. As you said and I agree, they were happy back then and there was also space, peace and good neighbors at that time, so what changed? Mentality, and that is the main issue. People have to say with they think and share opinions, so we can learn with each other. And I sincerely respect you for pointing out these issues.
I agree with you that there are many examples of ugly cement Pylons and big cables EDA put in front of everything, no matter how good it looks. Nevertheless, there are also good examples, like in Lajido, where a special care was taken in order to keep the ancient look. These are the examples that we must replicate and fight for, namely by giving our opinion in the “project phase” or by showing that it can be reversed using truthful data.
Finally, sometimes we need to dream in order to achieve greater goals. Man dreamed about flying or going to to the Moon and someone accomplished those goals. So one day I also believe that many “monstrosities” will be avoided.
Thank you once more for commenting and expressing your opinion. I will repeat myself by saying again what I said to you in a previous comment: “If all the people start doing the same [expressing their opinions like you do], I am sure that the politicians will need to take that into consideration and we would start living in a better society.”
Haja saúde!