By Georgie Hay, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The coastal town of Angra dos Reis is the main access point to Ilha Grande, one of the Rio’s primary tourism destinations, famous for pristine beaches and rustic charm. Today (Monday, February 29th), the Secretary of Tourism, Nilo Sergio Felix, plans to sign a new regulation named ““Turismo Legal” which will regulate ninety boats already registered by the city of Angra dos Reis.
Devised in partnership with SEBRAE, a non-profit organization providing support for micro and small-scale companies in Rio de Janeiro state, the rules will aim to map activity, set limits and encourage growth in the sector. According to TurisAngra, the new rules will begin to take effect in March.
“By opting for a trip to Costa Verde, tourists go for the sea and diving. The frequent choices of beaches in the area as international award winners, stimulate and promote tourism in the interior of Rio de Janeiro, and will be reflected in better quality of services and actions from the nautical planning put in place by the city of Angra dos Reis,” said the Secretary.
According to TurisAngra, registration will enable the authorities to have a wider and more detailed knowledge about the provision of tourist services. “We are fulfilling the first goal of this task by the decree. The next step is to qualify this activity and for that we have a partnership with the SEABRAE and the involvement of entrepreneurs themselves” said Klauber Valente, president of TurisAngra.
For the mayor of Angra dos Reis, Conceição Rabha, the decree is an important legacy for the development of regional tourism. “The goal is to increase the qualification of our tourism, which today we see enormous potential for job creation and development” concludes the mayor.
For Agustina Buezas, an Argentinean expatriate living on Ilha Grande, she hopes this may limit the amount of boats and ships on the waters. She exclaims, “There are too many boats!” and adds, “the [law] will be good for Angra dos Reis, but I recommend [departing from] Conceição de Jacareí, they have boats leaving every hour to Ilha Grange and it is less expensive.”
In addition to introducing the new decree, Secretary Nilo Sergio Felix will also present a certificate awarding the Lopes Mendes beach on Ilha Grande, as the second best beach in Brazil, and the third in South America by TripAdvisor (Travelers’ Choice Award 2016). Additionally, the beach has also been selected as one of the ten most beautiful in the world by the Spanish newspaper El País.