GMB - What are the plans of the Ministry of Tourism related to the gaming legalization in Brazil? What movement do you observe at the legislative political level… is everything flowing or very still?
Bob Santos - The subject is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Tourism. First, however, we need to make it clear that what we are looking for is the implementation of resort-integrated casinos. This is what really matters to tourism. We are not looking to legalize activities like bingo or slot machines. The regulation of resort-integrated casinos will move billions of dollars and generate thousands of jobs and new opportunities, bringing tourists and foreign capital to the country.
When do you think you can get the idea of setting up casinos in Brazil out of paper?
We don't have a date for this yet. There are projects that deal with the subject that are being discussed in Congress and, therefore, we await the decision of the parliamentarians.
Have you been considering the implementation of foreign casino resorts in Brazil?
We want the Brazilian states to have their casinos integrated into resorts and we are putting the Ministry of Tourism staff to study the issue. Important international groups of investors have already expressed interest in investing in Brazil, if legally authorized.
Will this attract big foreign tourism?
I think our country is having a great time in tourism. Within ten months, we have unlocked historical industry demands that reinforce the country's ability to attract visitors and investment.
We have already achieved positive results, such as the 43.4% increase in foreign tourist spending on visa-free travel to strategic countries. Another example comes with the opening of the air market. The country is witnessing the growing arrival of low-cost companies. Today, four firms already operate: Sky Airlines, Flybondi, Norwegian Air and Air Europa.
We can also highlight other positive data: growth of tourist activities from 3.2% from January to July. In addition, we had 25,000 new jobs in July, according to CNC. Therefore, Brazil will understand that casino resorts will be important to reach the goal of receiving 12 million tourists a year from overseas. We currently receive only 6.6 million.
Source: Exclusive GMB
