Agência Brasil*
Rio de Janeiro – On presenting to businessmen from Rio de Janeiro the Aquarela (Watercolour) Plan, which forecasts a greater number of foreign tourists visiting Brazil, the chairman at the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur), Jeanine Pires, estimated that the entry of funds into the country generated by foreign tourism should exceed US$ 10 billion a year by 2010.
Last year, the funds spent by foreign tourists in Brazil reached almost US$ 5 billion. "In the month of January of this year alone we received almost US$ 600 million. I therefore believe that we may have good surprises in the case of foreign funds," she forecasted.
Launched in 2005, Aquarela Plan is at its second phase. The forecast is that the number of international tourists be increased from the current 5.5 million a year to 7.9 million a year by 2010. In the revision of the plan for the period from 2007 to 2010, the expenses of these tourists in the country were estimated at US$ 7.7 billion.
According to Jeanine Pires, one of the results expected in the plan is the increase of job generation in the sector. She said that, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Brazil should be among the ten countries in the world that generate most jobs in tourism by 2018. The WTTC is a forum for leaders of global companies in the sector.
The chairman at the Embratur also said that he plans to diversify the offer of Brazilian products. According to Jeanine Pires, 98% of the tourists who come to the country say that they want to return to visit other areas and that they would recommend the country to other visitors. "Therefore, it is up to us to make the world know the opportunities the country offers," she finished off.
*Translated by Mark Ament
