© Rosa Chaves, 2011
In the various brands, merchandising and stands designed with ART - Regional Tourism Association of Azores, between 2009 and 2011, the strategy set was to valorize the tourists and their emotions, demonstrating them that the Azores Destination is appealing to who give value to the vacation activities (adding touristic animation and cultural tourism to the idea previously created of Azores as a destination merely contemplative of the nature). Another main concern was to have a sustainable approach in the implementation of the strategy.
In this fair, the Azores Destination was presented for the first time at one of the world’s largest yacht and water sports trade fairs, the BOOT Dusseldorf, held in Germany. The Azores Islands harbours a rich marine fauna, including all major large whales, a suite of dolphin species, sharks, manta rays or sea turtles, becoming undoubtedly, one of the best dive spots in the Atlantic Ocean.
Outside Boot _Photo © Boot, 2011
Inside Boot _Photo © Boot, 2011
Boot map _ Image © Boot, 2011
To promote it, we did it with the excitement of a first-person account (amplifying it with large format photos), presenting for the first time the tourism products that the region had hided, inviting tourists and companies to visit the Azores and live an ocean adventure where the company of some of the largest and most impressive animals on earth can be enjoyed _ Text (adapted) © Whale Watch Azores. The fair Boot Düsseldorf was chosen to launch the project, which had a positive impact among those who were present.
Talking to the crowd, giving them their experience, we had an ambassador of the sea, local underwater photographer Nuno Sá, several times prized by National Geographic now working with BBC and the "pioneer in unforgettable sea experiences" Norberto Serpa, diver from the tourism company Whale Watch Azores, "a professional diver, an apnea instructor, and a dive tech at the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries of the University of the Azores, which has given him a large experience in field marine biology".
Norberto Serpa, in ART's stand, promoting its maritime tourism company’s product "Diving with sharks", explaining that the Azores may even be the only destination of diving with sharks in Europe. _ Photo © ART - Tourism Regional Association of Azores, 2011
The concept applied to the stand walls and to the photography selection was defined in a co-work with Nuno Sá, from his portfolio, exhibiting the excellence of the touristic products such as the revelation product "diving with sharks" or since 1980 decade, the product "whale watching".
The brand "Hello Azores" (also with my credit, I developed the concept and the design) was also present in the stand. With a unifying mission, it connects Nuno's photos to the staff equipment, the merchandising and the promotional field guides (also ART's compilation and production, which I helped supervising).
After the implementation of this strategy, the Azores Tourism continued this journey, keeping their promotions of Boot 2011 in the Boot 2012 (where 1600 expositors, from more than 50 countries, in 17 areas, had presented their news to the next season). The Islands were set in 50 m2, took 16 local companies showing to the visitors the potential of diving in Azores.
