THE Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, which recently established a committee to promote closer tourism exchange between Arabs and Brazilians, will be holding seminars in the UAE and Kuwait in November.
This committee, which is also seeking partnerships and joint efforts by governments and other organisations, will be, in partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, bringing the seminars to the region focusing on investment in Brazilian tourism. The seminars are scheduled to take place in Kuwait on November 16 and 17 and in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on November 18 and 19. The main aim is to attract the attention of Arab investors to the tourism infrastructure in Brazil, tapping into the potential of this sector.
Tourism, which includes fields such as culture, cuisine and religion, is already regarded as one of the main potential targets for mutual investment, alongside logistics and infrastructure.
During the last 10 years, the average growth of the tourism industry worldwide was four per cent per year, according to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). In Brazil, this sector has come to account for 2.6 per cent of the national GDP, approximately $39 billion. From that total, 85 per cent consists of revenues from domestic tourism, a local market that few other countries possess, according to a press statement released by the chamber.
Brazil’s tourism industry employs 6.5 million people and the country receives five million foreign tourists per year, whose spending increased from $2.5 billion to $6 billion over the last six years. The Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur) revealed that 75 per cent of tourists seek Brazil as a holiday destination due to its natural beauty. Other attributes were its people’s hospitality and cultural mix.
The aim is to create 65 tourist spots in Brazil that will comply with international quality standards by 2010. Over 48,000 people are expected to work across 116 different tourist regions by then.
In 2014, during the FIFA World Cup, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism calculates that from 600,000 to 700,000 foreign tourists should visit the country. Preparations are underway not only in the 12 cities that are going to host the matches, but also in 65 different Brazilian tourist destinations.