Foz do Iguaçu one of the pioneering tourist destinations in Brazil adopting strict protocols

Foz do Iguaçu is rewarded with the increase in the number of visitors and is a reference for other Brazilian cities that also have tourism as one of the bases of their economy.

All health security protocols established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the City of Foz do Iguaçu are strictly adopted in attractions, hotels and restaurants in the city. In addition to totems with 70% alcohol gel spread to facilitate hand hygiene, boundaries for two-meter spacing, temperature measurement and constant use of masks, both by employees and visitors, the attractions also operate with the number of tourists who makes it possible to guarantee all security.

There are also no more lines to buy tickets, as in the past. Now, the sale is only over the internet. Each attraction also set up a sanitary barrier, with sanitizing mat, extra cleaning in touch items and questionnaire on respiratory symptoms. Employees are prepared to recognize symptoms compatible with covid-19.

The president of Visit Iguassu, Felipe González, recalls that the measures also cover individual and collective transport of tourists, assistance in travel agencies and other activities related to tourism. “The measures were taken to stimulate the resumption of the city's growth and to minimize the economic impacts caused by the pandemic. And they worked so well that they ended up serving as a model for other cities and tourist destinations in Brazil, ”says González.

Health certification

The most visited attraction of the destination, the Iguaçu National Park, where the Falls are located, has the Sanitary Responsibility Certificate and the Protected Environment Seal, which acts as an endorsement of the multidisciplinary committee created to contain the new coronavirus. To obtain certification, the establishments went through a rigorous visitation and auditing process, coordinated by the entities involved in the project.

According to Adelio Demeterko, director of the Cataratas do Iguaçu SA group, "tourists can visit one of the seven natural wonders of the world with the confidence that in the National Park all requirements for protection against covid-19 are being met".

The attractions of the Itaipu Tourist Complex, on the Brazilian margin, are also certified. “The new tourist, more conscious, will give preference to a destination with natural attractions and safe in the health area. All of our employees have been trained to assist tourists with security and are engaged to stop the contamination of the virus and continue tourist activities, so fundamental to the economic health of the city ”, analyzes the general director of Itaipu, general Joaquim Silva and Luna.

economy

What encourages tourism agents is that the resumption has given new impetus to entrepreneurs and is guaranteeing jobs. The hotel chain, for example, has about 180 establishments, offering 30,000 beds and, according to the Union of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Similar (Sindhotels), the sector is reviewing the protocols daily. Especially in relation to hygiene, which "is directly linked to the health and well-being of the public that we receive in Foz do Iguaçu", as stated by the president of Sindhotéis, Neuso Rafagnin.

“The moment demands caution and responsibility for the lives we receive in our spaces. We are respecting the guidelines of WHO and the city in order to bring well-being and safety to visitors ”, says Rafagnin. He adds that today Foz is experiencing a sustainable and safe return to tourism, an activity that accounts for a large part of the municipality's jobs and income.

Online
tickets Both at the Complexo Turístico Itaipu and at the Iguaçu National Park and other attractions in Foz, ticket sales are online, to avoid crowding. With this, the tourist guarantees the day and time of the visit, since the attractions establish a limitation in the number of visitors.

Since it reopened on August 4, the Iguaçu National Park has been making adjustments to the operation, to serve visitors with maximum security. Until October, the park received only 350 visitors per hour. The number was increased to 525 per hour, after further analysis concluded that there would be no additional risk.

Initially, too, the park operated only six days a week, closing on Monday. From the 28th, it will open again on Mondays, to meet the growing demand, since the high season of visitation begins. According to the advice of Cataratas do Iguaçu SA, the increase in the number of visitors was analyzed with “common sense”, since it represents a balance between health and economic issues.