The Secretary of State for Tourism (Setur) has the mission of developing public policies creating opportunities for sectoral investments and thereby expanding tourism in Amapá. For Abdon, releasing casinos could benefit the state's tourism. “I'm totally in favor of casinos in my state!” she says.
The state of Amapá borders French Guiana and Suriname, two places that have legalized casinos. Although it is a place of beautiful natural landscapes, river beaches, forest trails, besides offering a rich and varied cuisine, loses tourists who like betting for these two locations. Brazil and Ecuador are the only countries in South America that do not have legalized casinos.
Abdon has previously served as financial coordinator at the Amapá Federation of Goods, Services and Tourism. She believes that casinos should only be released at resorts. "For the benefit of tourism, I think casinos should only be integrated with resorts and hotels."
Setur is responsible for the maintenance and administration of Ecuador's Marco Zero monument and Trapiche Eliezer Levy. The agency also oversees Cadastur, a system of the Ministry of Tourism, which aims to regulate the service providers of the segment in Amapá, so that everyone can act legally in the state.
For the Secretary of Tourism, the state capital Macapá is the best place to host the first casinos in Amapá.
In favor of legalization, Abdon admits that this topic is not a priority on his secretary's agenda. “It's not a priority issue yet, but it can be put on the agenda for future discussions and can be considered for inclusion in tourism planning,” she said.
Regarding her position on the legalization of gambling in general in Brazil, Abdon believes that "it is something to be thought about and worked on before it becomes viable".
Amapá is the northernmost state of Brazil. Crossed by the Equator Line, it is partly in the Northern Hemisphere and partly in the South and is the place where the Amazon Rainforest is best preserved in Brazil. Therefore, tourism in Amapá is strong in activities related to ecotourism, but also in tours that explore this curiosity of the state to be in two hemispheres.
The state also stands out for having the largest Brazilian national park (Tumucumaque Mountains) and Pororoca, which is the meeting of sea waters with river waters.
Source: Exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
