Brazil Adapts to Try to Attract More Chinese Tourists

03/16/2017 - 12h50

Since 2014, China has been the global leader in passengers travelling abroad. However, Brazil still receives less than 0.1% of that total, which has made the country's tourist sector target the chinese market.

Brazil's Ministry of Tourism says that 53,064 Chinese tourists visited Brazil in 2015 - in 2014, when Brazil hosted the Soccer World Cup, the number reached 57,502. Not a lot compared to the more than 100 million Chinese who travelled abroad in 2015.

To attract these tourists and increase investments in the Asian power, Brazil has made partnerships with China.

The Ministry of Tourism disclosed a list of accredited agencies to receive Chinese groups. These agencies undertake to meet requirements such as indicating guides to follow the tourists and install phone lines in case there is an emergency.

In all, 304 agencies are accredited by Cadastur (the registration system of the tourism sector). In 2014, there were 23 accredited agencies.

However, the required visa is still an obstacle. "We must change that policy. As it is difficult to get a visa to enter Brazil, many Chinese tourists choose not to," says Hang Szeyee, the president of Hang Tour.

One of the main obstacles to receive these tourists is the language. The service supervisor of the Viale Cataratas hotel, in Foz do Iguaçu (PR), Lee Chih Li, who was born in China, says that few of his compatriots speak English.

For the professionals of the hotel segment interested in this public, having a team of professionals who speak Mandarin is vital.

In Brazil, many Chinese tourists miss something basic: hot water supply, a key service for the Chinese habit of drinking tea. Easy access to connect guests to the internet is also essential.

"Receptionists must be trained to use the guests' mobiles, insert the password so that they can access the internet on their phones," says Li.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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