BioMUST4All project kicks off: pioneering inclusive biodiversity tourism in the Azores

The BioMUST4All project officially launched yesterday with its kick off meeting at the University of the Azores, marking the start of a three year initiative (December 2025 to November 2028) to transform biodiversity tourism in the Azores through accessibility, innovation, and sustainability.

At the heart of the project are the BioMUSTs: short biodiversity observation trails and sites adapted to provide safe and accessible nature experiences for all visitors. Each BioMUST will include interpretive materials and hands on learning tools designed according to Universal Design principles and aligned with the ISO 21902 standard for accessible tourism.

The AIR Centre plays a key role in the project’s scientific monitoring framework. For terrestrial trails, the AIR Centre will lead remote sensing activities, providing baseline data to analyse local scale biodiversity trends that are essential for informed management decisions. For marine sites, the Centre will develop and apply indicators to assess trends and variability in Essential Ocean Variables, helping to characterise how these variables interact to support ecosystem health.

This work also includes the development of case studies with clear narratives and visual materials that make biodiversity data more accessible to diverse audiences. The AIR Centre’s contribution builds on its international collaborations through the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), whose Secretariat is hosted by the AIR Centre, bringing global best practices and expertise to the Azores context.

The kick off meeting brought together all project partners to establish a strong framework for collaboration, laying the groundwork for protecting and sharing the Azores’ extraordinary natural heritage through science informed sustainable tourism.

BioMUST4All – Experiencing biodiversity in the Azores in an innovative and inclusive way, is a co-funded project at 85% by FEDER (ACORES2030-FEDER-01913200) and at 15% by the Autonomous Region of the Azores (DRCID, PRO-SCIENTIA, M1.1.C/COFUND AÇORES 2030/014/2025). Beneficiary: Fundação Gaspar Frutuoso. Partners: AIR Centre, CRESAÇOR - Cooperativa Regional de Economia Solidária, CRL, and Via Oceânica.