São Paulo – Brazil is going to implement actions aimed at attracting more foreign tourists to the country. At the opening of the 6th Tourism Salon, this Wednesday (13th) in São Paulo, the minister of Tourism, Pedro Novaes, announced measures to increase the flow of visitors from abroad.
“We had a meeting with the minister of Foreign Relations, Antônio Patriota, to show our interest in lowering the cost of tourism in Brazil,” said Novaes, referring to the high cost of air tickets and lodging in the country. One measure currently being negotiated with the Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) is facilitation of entry visas. “We want to try and make it easier for foreigners to enter Brazil,” added the minister.
During a press conference, the national secretary for Tourism Programs and Development, Colbert Martins da Silva Filho, also mentioned an international cooperation agreement that Brazil is negotiating, especially with European countries, but which may be extended to other interested nations. “It is called ‘Open Skies’ and is meant to increase the number of foreign airlines operating in Brazil, and of Brazilian airlines operating overseas,” he explained.
The minister also announced the establishment of a Tourism Facilitation Committee, which will involve 27 ministries and whose aim will be to detect bottlenecks to the coming of foreign tourists to Brazil, as well as eventual problems faced by Brazilians while entering foreign countries. According to Novaes, the committee should meet on a monthly basis.
During the event, the creation of two registries for the sector was announced. The Registry System if Tourist Service Suppliers (Cadastur) will regulate enterprises and workers in the industry, acting as an accreditation from the Ministry of Tourism to attest to the public that a given professional or company is apt to provide a tourism-related service, such as serving as a guide or operating a motor boat cruise, for instance.
The other registry, named Guest Registry System, whose technology is still being developed, will be an electronic databank to store and share information on tourists who stay in hotels and lodges throughout Brazil. “The system will also be a source of tourism statistics in the country,” said the minister.
Novaes also spoke on the ministry’s actions to train industry professionals. “We are committed to training 306,000 tourism workers. There are classes in ethics, citizenship, English and Spanish available to clerks, concierges, receptionists, among others,” stated the minister. According to him, in the language courses alone, which are distance courses, there are 80,000 professionals involved.
Regarding investment for the 2014 World Cup, Novaes stated that there are approximately 4 billion Brazilian reals (US$ ) worth of credit available for the development of the hotel industry. The suppliers of funding include the National Development Bank (BNDES), Caixa Econômica Federal (Federal Savings Bank), the Superintendence for the Development of the Northeast (Sudene), the Superintendence for the Development of the Amazon (Sudam) and the Bank of Brasil.
As for regional tourism promotion actions, Novaes discussed the Cross-Border Tourism Program (Frontur), the main targets of which will include the North region. “[International] tourism should be made preferentially with our neighbouring countries,” he claimed.
Also in the international sphere, Novaes revealed that Brazil is considering a proposal made by the ITB Berlin, the world’s main tourism convention, held in the German capital, for the event to promote Brazil as a destination, possibly in 2013. “We still need an international agreement. The Brazilian embassy should receive the proposal and we are going to study it.”
At the opening of the event, an agreement was also signed between the ministries of Tourism and Fisheries, signed by Novaes and the minister of Fisheries, Luiz Sérgio, to strengthen amateur fishing as a tourist activity.
The salon
The sixth edition of the Tourism Salon, at the Anhembi Exhibition Pavilion, will continue until Sunday (17th) and, according to the organizers, it should receive 100,000 visitors. The exhibition is divided into five sections: Vitrine Brasil (Shop Window Brazil), a shopping area for handicraft, fashion, jewellery, family farming and concerts comprising the 27 Brazilian states; Núcleo do Conhecimento (the Knowledge Center), which will host talks, debates, presentation of tourism-related works, projects and experiences; Feira de Roteiros Turísticos (Tourist Route Fair), with stands from the five regions of the country, presenting the main attractions of each state; Área de Comercialização (Sales Area), where visitors may buy packages for their next holidays; and Rodada de Negócios (Matchmaking Rounds), previously scheduled meetings between tour operators and local suppliers.
Service
6th Tourism Salon
Date: July 13th to 17th, 2011
Place: Anhembi Exhibition Pavilion
Address: Olavo Fontoura Avenue, 1209, Santana – São Paulo
Site: www.salao.turismo.gov.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
