Secretary General of the UNWTO ends his visit to Brazil

The Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili, completed this week, together with Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, a series of agendas in Brazil. They visited tourist attractions and met with businesses and leaders from Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brasilia (DF) and Trancoso (BA). On the agenda of the meetings was the safe and responsible resumption of tourism and investments in the sector.

"We show the Secretary General that tourism in Brazil can be much more than a natural beauty, but also an important engine of the economy, generating employment and income for the population," said Álvaro Antonio. "This is how the world has treated tourism, and many places are already achieving positive results. For this reason, we also want our sector to take off in Brazil," he concluded.

The UNWTO agenda in Brazil aimed to promote the responsible resumption of activities, in addition to discussing projects for the development of the sector in the country. In Christ the Redeemer, a postcard from Rio de Janeiro, the Minister of Tourism and the Secretary General of the UNWTO were received, last Monday (16.11) by the rector of the Shrine, Omar Raposo, when they visited the Corcovado Chapel and took a photo in front of one of the biggest icons of world tourism.

On the occasion, Zurab Pololikashvili highlighted the joy of being in Brazil to align development actions in the sector and stressed that the country is a safe destination to visit. “It is a very exciting day for me, for us. It is a very emblematic place for tourism where we are now (Christ) and, after what we have lived through in recent months, we are here to give the message to everyone that you can travel with responsibility and safety. Brazil is ready to receive tourists ”, he emphasized.

Brasilia - In the Federal Capital, Álvaro Antônio and Zurab met with the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro. During the meeting, Zurab reinforced the choice of Brazil as the first country in the Americas to receive an office from the entity. He also reported the interest in partnerships to offer job training in the sector. And yet, he raised the possibility of holding, in Angra dos Reis (RJ), a Forum with Ministers of Tourism from various countries. Finally, the Secretary General reaffirmed his commitment to help Brazil increase the number of national and international tourism.
After the agenda at the Planalto Palace, the OMT representative went to the Ministry of Tourism where he met with the Secretaries of the Ministry and part of the technical team. At the meeting, Zurab learned about the actions that have been developed at the federal government level with a focus on protection activity during the pandemic and on actions to retake the sector, as well as attracting investment.

Trancoso - In the district of the municipality of Porto Seguro and one of the most sought-after destinations on the Bahia coast, the Secretary General of the UNWTO and the Minister of Tourism followed up on meetings with members of the tourism sector in the region and discovered attractions. Trancoso is part of the strategic Costa do Descobrimento route, along with Arraial d'Ajuda and Caraíva, which are also part of Porto Seguro. The Discovery Coast is one of the 30 strategic tourist routes, located in 158 municipalities of the country, covered by the Investe Turismo program.

Last week, the federal government launched the national alliance Retomada do Turismo, which brings together 32 institutions of the public power, private initiative, third sector and Sistema S, coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism. The objective is to reduce the negative effects caused in the sector, by the Covid-19 pandemic. A set of actions and programs are planned, ranging from strengthening the granting of credit lines to capitalize companies in the sector and preserve jobs, to works to improve the infrastructure of tourist destinations.