At the state level, Lummertz mentioned the success of the “São Paulo para Todos” (São Paulo for All) program, with the addition of 490 flights, the launching of a promotion campaign and investments by airlines in publicizing the destination, besides the actions that led the state to reach 7% growth in the first half. The secretary also spoke about the privatization plan of 22 São Paulo airports and public parks, such as Campos Do Jordão, Botanical Garden and the Zoo.
Speaking on the subject, Lummertz, however, highlighted a certain conservatism of the country to adopt necessary measures for the evolution of tourism policies. “Brazil is a country that fulfills its tasks but does it belatedly. Our conservative roots make us do things long after other countries and so many things that are already normal out there still scare, such as concessions of parks, casinos and tourist areas,” he said.
The secretary cited the example of Singapore, where casinos made the number of foreign tourists jump from 8 to 17 million, and Cancun, which with its tourist zone has an economic movement with tourism larger than Brazil. He also pointed out that São Paulo's potential alone is not enough to attract tourism.
“We are an event capital, but we still don't have the best places in the world. To take events from the northern hemisphere we need to reach another level and create better structures,” he adds.
If in the state the strategies are already starting to work, in the city one of the ideas is to create a line of work to maximize the good results. According to data from the City Hall, ISS revenues from tourism activities grew in all months of the first half, with good numbers in May (+ 20.5%), January (+ 14.3%) and June (+13,5%). The lowest growth occurred in April, but still with an incredibly expressive 7.4%.
"If without a structured policy we already have a large volume of growth and being the largest tourist destination in the country, imagine after an investment of this size," said Orlando Faria. For this year, the portfolio has a budget of R$ 132 million (US$ 33m), which are being invested in cultural actions and tourist activities in the city.
The municipal secretary emphasizes that one of the objectives is to investigate the arrival of international leisure events, including motorsport events, festivals, concerts, sporting events and attractions. Another strategy is the creation of a press calendar to attract the national press, an action that already took place during the Copa America. The joint promotion strategy with the state was also highlighted by the secretary.
Source: GMB / Mercado & Eventos
