RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Recently, the country won a seat on the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization, the main organization in the sector. According to the government, the measures produced a positive effect.
In July, the first month after the visa waiver, the amounts spent by foreign tourists in Brazil had increased more than 43 percent compared to the same month in 2018, according to data from the ministry.
A survey by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) shows a 4.4 percent growth in the sector in July 2019, compared to the same period in 2018. In addition, tourism is among the major economic sectors reporting a monthly increase.
This year, World Tourism Day will be celebrated in New Dehli, India. In 2020, the celebration is expected to take place in the region of the Triple Border, which joins Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Mercosur countries will host the ceremony for the first time.
Employment and income
In the May, June and July quarter, the tourism sector recorded a 5.8 percent rise in job creation compared to the same period last year. Within the sector, food and accommodation accounted for most jobs.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the sector already represents 8.1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2018, tourism GDP totaled US$152 billion dollars, representing a 3.1 percent increase in comparison to 2017. In total, the sector employs 6.9 million people.
New Map of Brazilian Tourism
One of the methods employed by the government to boost tourism in the country was to better understand the regions. To this end, the 2019-2021 Brazilian Tourism Map was developed and launched in August. The document includes 2,694 cities from 333 tourist regions of the country.
The map is a tool that pinpoints the investment requirements and promotional actions of each of the country’s tourism regions.
The map is constantly updated so that resource allocation is effective. Only touristic cities or cities impacted by the travel sector, such as municipalities with airports close to tourist regions, are included on the map.
To be part of the platform, the municipality needs to have its own tourism budget and service providers registered in the Register of Tourism Service Providers (CADASTUR), of the Ministry of Tourism.
The Tourism map is in operation and may be accessed on the website that also includes the issue of a digital certificate for municipalities. This document certifies that the sector generates employment and income for the local community.
For more information on the Tourism Regionalization Program or the Brazilian Tourism Map one must get in touch with the General Coordination of Mapping and Territorial Management of Tourism, by e-mail [email protected].
Source: Agência Brasil