Brazil's Minister of Tourism, Walfrido Mares Guia, urged, yesterday, passage of a bill ending the visa requirement for American tourists. According to the Minister, this measure could earn Brazil more than US$ 2 billion a year.

"If there weren't so much bureaucracy in issuing visas, we would be all set to receive over a million American tourists. And this would generate profits for the country, since Americans are the tourists whose daily expenditures are the highest. And they spend a lot," remarked the Minister, who participated in a public hearing before the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Relations and National Defense Commission.

For the representative of the Minister of Foreign Relations, Ambassador Rui Mesquita, the visa requirement does not constitute a problem for the arrival of American tourists.

"The Ministry of Foreign Relations believes that the visa is not a problem in attracting American tourists to Brazil. Infrastructure and the lack of flights are stronger motives. Various European countries that don't have visa requirements had fewer American tourists than we did in the last four years."

Last year the Brazilian courts alleged the principle of reciprocity to oblige all American tourists to be photographed and fingerprinted, since all Brazilian citizens who travel to the United States are submitted to a similar system of identification.

Over four million tourists visited Brazil in 2004. Around 700 thousand of them were Americans.

Agência Brasil

Comments (2)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

more politics
written by Guest, May 08, 2005

The VISA requirement for US citizens CERTAINLY prevents thousands from visiting. The Ministry of Foriegn relations is playing petty politics while thwarting the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs in Brasil.

There is no law of reciprocity, only a political principal that hurts Brasil and brings no advantages whatsoever.

I work to bring tourists from the US to Brazil....my number one problem in attracting stronger tourist numbers?? The Visa requirement!!

Get your head out of your ass please Amb. Mesquita!

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

Business Man\'s Perspective
written by Guest, October 26, 2005

I am an Americain living and working temporarily in France. My Company is a multi-billion dollar international Company. My contractor has recommended the use of two Brazillian subContractors. We traveled to Brazil in order to meet and inegotiate with the companies. My plan was thwarted as although my European Companions went through immigration, I was not allowed in and forced to return to Europe because I was American and needed to make an in person presentation at the Brazillian consulate prior to my trip. Further, I have discovered this new and sloppy procedure of gathering photographic and fingerprinting information. This experience most definitely influenced my decesion to continue to issue/approve subcontracts to Brazillian industry.
I do not blame the Brazillian government for desiring to have a policy of "reciprocity" with US and claiming that US policy is unblanaced, but business is not about being fair, it's about being smart. The reaction of the Brazillian government has and will continue to do more damge to their economy than that of the U.S.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment

---