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Diversification of the tourism products that Brazil has to offer is one of the main reasons the country has registered a surplus in the tourism balance (the difference between what foreign tourists spend in Brazil and what Brazilian tourists spend abroad) for 26 months in a row.
This affirmation was made during an interview with the national secretary of Tourism Policies, Milton Zuanazzi, on the Radio Nacional of Rio de Janeiro.
According to Zuanazzi, the depreciation of the real in relation to the American dollar and the euro does not by itself explain the surplus, since this aspect of the currency is not a recent phenomenon.
"The sun and the beach are still our major attraction, but Brazil is now beginning to occupy a significant position in the area of events and other segments, such as ecotourism, adventure tourism, and historical and cultural tourism."
The secretary goes on to explain that Brazil decided to stimulate Brazilian tourism both abroad and within the country, which was not previously the case.
"We are a country very intent on 'selling' Brazilians that which is foreign, and we cared little about the reverse. Now we are celebrating both the foreigners who are here and the number of Brazilians traveling within the country. This is very important to the Brazilian economy," he said.
According to Zuanazzi, Brazilian tourism was also benefited by the addition of destinations in Northeast Brazil, which provides an alternative to the traditional destinations of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. There has been an increase, too, in the number of charter flights coming to Brazil.
He also explained that the tourists who most visit the country are Europeans and other South Americans. Zuanazzi attributes the smaller flow of tourists from the United States to problems in obtaining visas.
This is so because the Reciprocity Law, which governs Brazil's international relations, determines that foreigners be subjected to the same difficulties in entering the country that Brazilians face when they travel abroad.
"The American market is still limited, due to visa problems. We are presently trying to overcome this by creating an alternative to the Reciprocity Law," Zuanazzi commented.
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