Read below the text "It is time to review the numbers of tourism in Brazil":
At a time when the country is undergoing major changes with the already defined legislative elections, which have promoted a great renewal in the national political environment, the time has come to unite around the main issues discussed in recent years and mobilize the sector of national tourism so that, finally, the authorities understand the power of transformation of its industry.
Figures show that tourism and hospitality can increase their contribution to national development. In Brazil, international tourist arrivals increased only 6% between January and April 2018, compared to the same period last year. We need to improve this number a lot.
Examples that show it is something possible do not lack and come from some of our neighbors. Chileans, for example, rose 14.3% over the previous year with the International Tourism Marketing Action Plan with several incentives and training for agents in the sector and campaigns for the final public in other countries.
Colombia presented growth of 35.8%, accumulating almost 4 million visitors between January and May. One of the reasons was the incentive to build hotels in small cities, in addition to implementing a special 9% income tax rate for up to 30 years for units built, renovated or extended before December 31, 2017.
Another example, Peru, had almost 4 million international arrivals last year. This is the result of some measures taken by the Peruvian government that stimulated the inauguration of 4,800 hotels, as well as marketing actions and international campaigns. Another attraction was the prize awarded to Peru by the World Travel Awards, which elected the country as World Culinary Destination for the sixth consecutive year.
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) has announced, based on the document "WTO Panorama Tourism 2018", the world ranking of the sector in 2017, confirming that Mexico rose to the sixth place in the international reception, registering the arrival of 39.3 millions of travelers from other countries. One of the reasons was the incentive to the business tourism sector with the realization of 265 thousand events, which attracted more than 29 million participants and generated an economic benefit equal to 1.5% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
For representatives of the Brazilian tourism sector, it is necessary, once and for all, to promote the necessary modernizations in various aspects of our legislation, as well as ensuring that the public sector fulfills its role as a stimulator of a huge productive chair that affects several areas of the economy and, therefore, with the power to become strategic for the country's development.
The main positions are relative to the high tax burden and the excess of bureaucracy that have already been widely discussed and that need a solution. There are other issues that need to be addressed, such as the opening of national parks through public concessions, the facilitation of the arrival of ocean cruises and the liberation of casinos in resorts that can bring investments of around US$13.5 billion to Brazil.
There are other guidelines still with regard to the modernization of the migration law, the debureaucratization of Embratur to facilitate partnerships with the private initiative to promote national destinations abroad not only at fairs and events aimed at agents and tour operators, but mainly for the final costumer. To get an idea, today Brazil invests only US$16 million in publicizing its destinations around the world. Much less than Mexico (US$490m), Colombia (US$100m) and Ecuador (US$90m). And the numbers do not lie.
Manoel Linhares, ABIH Nacional Presidente
Source: GMB
