The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) communicates its support for the International Tourism Acceleration Program (PATI) of Brazil and its commitment to contributing its experience, network of connections and knowledge to further strengthen the program. The program is an initiative of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur) in collaboration with the Ministry of Ports and Airports and the Ministry of Tourism with the support of resources from the National Civil Aviation Fund (FNAC).
José Ricardo Botelho, CEO of ALTA, highlights the importance of the initiative for the development of tourism in Brazil, but warns about issues related to the operating costs of airline companies in the country. "Although this initiative is considered a positive development for tourism in the region, we cannot underestimate the challenges that airlines face when operating in Brazil. Aspects such as legal uncertainty, fuel costs and judicialization represent significant obstacles that require immediate attention. We urge the government and stakeholders to prioritize these issues on their agendas in order to ensure the sustainable and prosperous development of the aviation and tourism sector throughout the region. Flying in a country of continental dimensions like Brazil is. a need and, with the right support, the country will be able to carry out the largest social inclusion program in history, allowing class C, which exceeds 110 million Brazilians, to have access to culture, connections, well-being and much more".
ALTA is collaborating with authorities to promote initiatives that expand air connectivity and attract more visitors to the country efficiently. PATI has demonstrated from the beginning that collaboration between the public and private sectors is a key factor for the success of initiatives. "Strengthening international connectivity and providing options so that more people can visit this diverse country is the objective. The travel and tourism sector is a powerful economic engine that generates employment and development, even in remote places. Increase the flow of flights and passengers in the country will translate into immediate socioeconomic growth," says Botelho.
PATI seeks to increase the number of seats and international flights. Program details:
In the first phase, of a pilot nature, the planned investment is 660,000 US dollars.
Airlines and airports will have to present investment proposals to promote new flights and their respective tourist destinations with actions such as advertising campaigns in the country of origin of the flights and promotional trips with journalists, digital influencers and foreign tour operators to the destination of the flights, among others. other possibilities.
The selected proposals will receive funds from the FNAC, which will cover part of the cost of promoting these new air routes. It will be 40 Brazilian reals for each seat for each new flight that lands in Brazil during the period between October 27, 2024 and March 29, 2025. To request the fund, the airline must guarantee growth of its network in compared to the 2023/2024 season, and the resources will be linked to new seats.
As a way to promote the expansion of connectivity between the greatest number of countries, with direct flights to different destinations in Brazil, proposals for the creation of routes that take off from airports that do not have a direct flight to Brazil will also be better qualified to participate in the PATI. Brazil.
A greater frequency of weekly flights is also rewarded with a higher score, as is the convenience of arrival and departure times, with a preference for the interval between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Finally, proposals that use more modern aircraft, which emit less carbon into the atmosphere, and companies that have signed agreements to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the UN Agenda 2030 will be better classified.