São Paulo – The number of Brazilian tourists at some of the main destinations of the Arab world has gone up in the last few years, according to representatives of tourist bodies from Egypt, Morocco and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This week, they are attending the tourism fair World Travel Market Latin America (WTM Latin America) at Expo Center Norte in São Paulo. Even with this increase, the Arab participants said that it’s possible to attract even more Brazilians. Besides them, Jordan and Emirates Airline, from Dubai, have stands in the fair.
WTM Latin America arrived in Brazil in 2013 to promote business among tourist destinations, tour operators, agencies, hotel and airlines in an industry-only event, with no participation of end consumers. This year’s edition started on Wednesday (22th) and ends this Friday (24th).
The associate director of the Morocco Tourism delegation, Fouad Bouchama, said to ANBA this Thursday (23th) that the North Africa country has been receiving more and more Brazilians since the local airline, Royal Air Maroc, started to offer direct flights, three times a week, between Casablanca and São Paulo. In 2014, 28,000 Brazilians visited Morocco.
“The number of people coming from Brazil increased 35% this year and we want to receive even more. Besides this Royal Air Maroc’s flight, Brazilians can visit Morocco while on a trip to Portugal and Spain, which are really close by. Usually, Brazilians visit the cities of Fez, Rabat and Casablanca, besides going to see the desert in a route that combines nature and culture”. He said that the country’s tourism body should take Brazilian tourism operators and journalists to get to know Morocco in June, as part of a promotion project of the country.
The same strategy should be taken this year by the Egypt Tourism Authority. According to the institution’s director for United States, Canada and Latin America, Gawaher Ali Youssef, Egypt has as a goal to receive again, in the short term, the record number of tourists in the country: 14.7 million, registered in 2010, before the political disputes and demonstrations that resulted in the resignations of former president Hosni Mubarak, in 2011, and his successor, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013. Since 2014, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi rules the country.
“Last year we already received 10 million tourists, and we want to go back to the 2010 level. There was an increase of 50% of Brazilian visitors between March 2014 and March 2015. Last month, we received 1,100 Brazilian tourists. We credit this recovery to the improvement in (political) stability and the tourism promotion actions”, said Youssef.
Another destination that it’s also receiving a higher number of Brazilians is Abu Dhabi. According to the head of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority for South and North America, Salma Al Mahari, 10,000 Brazilians visited Abu Dhabi in 2013, a number that increased around 85% last year.
“We have been receiving more Brazilians after the launch of the Abu Dhabi-São Paulo route (operated by Etihad Airways since June 2013). Besides being a passenger hub to Asia and Australia, we invite tourists to spend a couple of days in Abu Dhabi and get to know our leisure options. Starting in 2016 and until 2018, we will inaugurate five museums, starting with the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which will add to the leisure options. Brazil is an emerging market in which we see great potential”, she said.
Marketing coordinator of the Jordan Tourism Board for Austria, Switzerland and Brazil, Mouin Gedeon said that attending WTM fair is an opportunity to be close to Brazilian tourism operators and to introduce Jordan as a new destination. “We want to presente our cultural, religious and natural attractions and, from then on, assess the feedback we receive from the market to establish targets and goals for the Brazilian tourist influx”, he said.
Service
WTM Latin America
Until Friday (24th), from noon to 6 PM
Expo Center Norte
Further information: http://www.wtmlatinamerica.com/
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
