Entities in the tourism sector demand from parliamentarians and the federal government speed in approving Bill 1829, which amends points of the 2008 National Tourism Policy, among other legal provisions.
The bill came to the Senate in March this year, after nearly four years in the House of Representatives, in the form of Bill 2724. Although Bill 2724 was presented to the House of Representatives by former Deputy Carlos Eduardo Cadoca in August 2015, the subject has been discussed for much longer by industry representatives who consider that the performance of Brazilian tourism is far below its potential.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, about 6.62 million foreign tourists visited Brazil in 2018. The number is practically the same as the last three years, showing a stagnation in the tourist flow. Each foreigner stays an average of 15 nights in Brazilian territory, also spending an average of US$ 53.96 - slightly lower than the US$ 55.8 registered in 2017.
President of the Integrated Parks and Tourist Attractions System (Sindepat), Murilo Pascoal (Beach Park) says the country needs to update the sector's laws if it wants to keep up with developments in the world tourism industry. “It is very important that this claim that has been in the National Congress for a long time is approved as soon as possible. There are a number of points in the legislative projects that, together, can help the national tourism industry to modernize and evolve,” Pascoal told Agência Brasil, citing, as an example, Embratur's transformation into a promotion agency of Brazil as a tourist destination.
The president of the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association (ABIH Nacional), Manoel Linhares, called the “modernization” of the legislation as one of the most important things for those who invest in the segment. “Our country has everything to grow, but excessive bureaucracy has hampered this growth. We have to unlock these procedures,” said Linhares, highlighting the sanction in June this year of Provisional Measure (PM) 863, which authorizes airlines based in Brazil to operate with up to 100% of foreign capital.
“Air travel is one of the most important things for domestic tourism. Still, today we have a situation almost similar to 1970, with only three large companies disputing the market. Doing domestic tourism in Brazil is almost impossible. An air ticket from the northeast to Miami is cheaper than one to come to Brasilia,” added the president of ABIH, pointing out that there are a number of other controversial issues to discuss in order to find ways to stimulate economic activity and generate jobs, such as authorization to operate casinos. “Tourism impacts at least 82 sectors. Updating the Tourism Law and unlocking the sector will set a milestone with a before and after this moment.”
While attending an event that Sindepat holds until today (22), in Brasilia, the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Daniel Nepomuceno, told Agência Brasil that some points of the bills that update the National Policy have already been approved through other legislative initiatives. Still, according to the secretary, there are points that need to be discussed. In addition, Nepomuceno argues that, strictly speaking, the National Tourism Policy needs to be reviewed every five years.
“The digital age makes it necessary to modernize legislation in a shrinking time frame. We want all points contained in the projects to be [revised] frequently. We have made some progress, but it is necessary to vote [the PL 1829] that is in the [Senate Constitution and Justice Committee],” said Nepomuceno, defending the transformation of Embratur into an agency with more autonomy and budgetary resources to promote Brazil abroad. “There are models like Apex [Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency] that worked very well. Embratur needs this too. The country needs some other priority reforms, but this will move forward.”
At the same event in Brasilia, the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Tourism Commission, Federal Representative Newton Cardoso Jr. (MDB-MG), explained that the House is discussing the creation of a special commission to deal with the transformation of Embratur into an agency of promotion. "With the support of the leaders of the House to form the special commission, we will call all tourism trading to discuss what is important to the sector," said Cardoso, highlighting one aspect of the macro debate.
“As for updating the General Tourism Law in the House, much of what had to be done has already been done. We have been able to update the legislation that caters to the hotel industry, to deal with the exemption from Ecad hotel fees, to allow foreign groups to participate in the capital of national airlines,” said the deputy. “This has all now gone to the Senate, which has to position itself so that we can bring this to the presidential sanction as soon as possible. The other priorities of Congress and the government, such as the Social Security Reform, will be in parallel and I do not believe that they are an impediment to the advancement of the update of the National Tourism Policy. ”
Source: GMB / Alex Rodrigues - Agência Brasil Brasília reporter
