Lack of Government Policies Affects the Development of Tourism on National Level

03/20/2018 - 15h16

The lack of government policies and long-term planning has kept the development of tourism in Brazil from reaching its full potential.

At least that was the main conclusion that participants of the Tourism and the Internationalization of Brazil Conference arrived at. The event, which was promoted by Folha, took place on Thursday (the 15th) at the Pinacoteca in the state of São Paulo and was sponsored by Embratur and supported by CVC.

"There are no tourism policies in Brazil", said Mariana Aldrigui, a professor and researcher on public tourism policies at the University of São Paulo (USP).

According to Ms. Aldrigui, the reason behind the creation of the Ministry of Tourism 15 years ago had nothing to do with the desire to make progress in the sector, rather it had to do with creating cabinet positions for members belonging to political parties that formed the governing coalition.

Felipe Augusto Carreras, the Secretary of Tourism of the state of Pernambuco, believes that the government's disregard for the tourism sector is reflected in the fact that, despite having hosted major events, such as the World Cup and the Olympics, Brazil has not managed to exceed the threshold of 7 million international tourists a year.

When it comes to tourism, Vinícius Lummertz, the president of Embratur - an agency that promotes Brazil and its tourist attractions abroad - thinks that Brazil should seek to project itself on the international stage.

Francisco Costa Neto, the CEO of the Rio Quente Group, which has resorts in Goiás and Bahia, believes that policies should concentrate on attracting tourists who live in Mercosur countries since they face shorter flights and less bureaucracy.

Brazil's tourist industry has been affected by negative press abroad, particularly news about violence and public health issues.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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