Last May I went to Cancun to rest a week with my family. I know hundreds of destinations and lodging facilities in Brazil and around the world, but Cancun always impresses. Starting with the airport that has a good infrastructure to receive dozens of flights daily bringing tourists from around the world. As we stayed at a resort in Playa del Carmen, we had to travel almost 100 km, but on a double lane road on each side that looked like a paved carpet, which made a comfortable trip. And along the way it was inevitable to see so many hotels and resorts, most of them four and five stars, built in a predominantly mangrove area where all that was not missing were signposts.
Inevitably, I remembered a friend of mine who invested US$ 5.35 million in building a hotel in the interior of Minas Gerais to enjoy the beautiful landscape and the abundant water resources. But he spent almost three years presenting a lot of environmental impact projects in different public agencies that did not communicate and created friction among themselves. After a lot of bureaucracy, he was able to start the works and even following the strict international safety standards, he had a lot of trouble getting approval from the fire department and city hall permit. And the city, for its part, could not even gravel the three kilometers of dirt road that connected the hotel to a federal highway that gave access.
The town's allegation was lack of funds, thus the agencies linked to the highways could not put a simple sign on the road indicating the hotel entrance. This confused the guests passing by, had to pay tolls and return a few miles later. To alleviate these disorders and not depend on public initiative, the businessman placed an outdoor on the bank by the highway indicating the hotel, as well as paved the three-kilometer stretch that also benefited several residents. The public agencies did not take into account that he was generating almost 50 jobs and fostering tax collection in a city that was struggling for resources and jobs.
Even while on vacation, I learned from some tourism professionals in Cancun and the region how they grant environmental permits from the lodging sector and how it invests to foster tourism, which accounts for 49.5% of all of Cancun's gross domestic product. It is the eighth most visited destination in the world. And it was not surprising to know that tourism is treated as a priority throughout Mexico as there are many tax breaks, many outreach campaigns around the world, willingness to release permits as long as it meets the minimum requirements required, training and qualification manpower and constant investment in infrastructure.
That is why most international hotel chains have a unit in this country. This made Mexico receive about 40 million international visitors in 2017, jumping from 15th in 2012 to sixth in the ranking of most visited destinations in the world last year. According to the Mexican Tourism Council, the sector is responsible for 8.7% of national GDP, generates 10 million jobs and raises US$ 21.3 billion with tourists. And Cancun stands out as Mexico's most visited destination and receives far more than the 6.5 million tourists that Brazil attracts annually.
And to understand why a continent called Brazil, which has many ecosystems, natural beauty and historical and natural heritage, receiving only 6.5 million tourists per year is easy. Lack of political will. If tourism were a state policy, receiving lines of credit and financing from the government, including hotels, within a few years Brazil could be among the top ten in world tourism.
Some advances are underway, such as the issuing of visas for Japanese, US, Canadian and Australian tourists, but that is very little. Investing in infrastructure is required and this includes ports, airports, highways, airways, traffic signposts in other languages, and labor skills.
Important topics are under consideration in Congress such as the release of casinos in hotels, which can be a major lever for tourism. These are the casinos that attract thousands of Brazilians to Southern Cone countries, the United States or even Europe. The money they spend can generate foreign exchange, as well as increase tax revenues and redeem the casino's vocation in destinations such as the Minas Gerais Water Circuit and Sao Paulo.
Trading false electoral promises for concrete action by our rulers is all that is left to wake up the sleeping giant of world tourism. Private enterprise does its part, but alone no one goes anywhere.
Edgar J. Oliveira
Edgar J. Oliveira has 28 years of training in journalism and has worked in large national companies in different communication sectors such as: radio, press office, advertising agency and has been in charge of various media of different sectors such as: neighborhood newspaper, magazine focused construction, telecommunications, road concessions, logistics and currently in hotels, where he is the Editorial Director of ‘Hotéis’ Magazine, the main publication of the segment with 18 years of activities in the sector.
