São Paulo – The Brazilian hotel sector has been receiving more and more investment. Between 2006 and 2008, investment totalled US$ 1 billion and up to 2011, the forecast is for US$ 3 billion by investors from Europe, the United States and the Middle East. This information was supplied by the minister of Tourism, Luiz Baretto, who participated yesterday (21st) in the opening of the Fair of the Americas, in Rio de Janeiro, which includes the participation of an Arab country: Jordan.
According to the minister, over the next five years, apart from funds from the ministry’s budget, the government has already collected US$ 1 billion from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) for the Program for Development of Tourism in the Northeast (Prodetur), which already has nationwide coverage. "In coming weeks, we may formalize an agreement with the BNDES to finance the redoing and expansion of the current hotel park in cities to receive World Cup matches," he said.
The matches of the Cup should attract 600,000 foreign tourists to Brazil in 2014 and the promotion of the Olympics and the Paralympics should cause an increase of 15% in this flow when compared to the year prior to the event. Carlos Alberto Amorim Ferreira, the president of the Brazilian Travel Agency Association (Abav), is as optimistic as the minister. "Tourism is the best tool to promote the social transformation that is available to Brazil. It is the sector that will probably result in the greatest heritage after all these events: jobs and revenues, provided by a greater flow of visitors," he said.
The Fair of the Americas, which ends on Friday (23rd), includes 1,000 exhibitors and hopes to receive 27,000 professionals. Apart from promoting national tourism, the event also includes stands from other countries, like Jordan. The person responsible for the promotion of the Arab countries among travel operators is Gisele Abrahao, of Global Vision Access (GVA). According to her, a representative of the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), apart from promoting Jordan, she should also train and support Brazilian operators.
Today, at the Jordanian stand, Globo TV actor Thiago Lacerda, who is playing a part in soap opera “Viver a Vida” (Living Life), should tell the story of his visit to the Arab country during the filming of the soap opera. The event should also include the consul of Jordan to São Paulo, Mustapha Abdouni, and the representative of the Tourism Committee at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Adel Auada.
*Translated by Mark Ament
