National parks and conservation units will gain more prominence in Brazil´s international promotion

Embratur renewed its Technical Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the Semeia Institute, a philanthropic organization that works to promote visitation and enhance the sustainable socioeconomic development of parks and conservation units in Brazil. The objective is to improve and prioritize the international promotion of these attractions and their surrounding areas, selecting structured itineraries that can be marketed to the international tourism market. The signing took place on Tuesday afternoon, the 24th, at the Agency's headquarters.

In addition to structuring the international promotion strategy for Brazil's Natural Parks, the agreement provides for the exchange of data and information to implement this strategy, as well as the implementation of training and marketing support activities in a cooperative manner between the Agency and the Institute. The international promotion of parks and conservation units strengthens Brazil's international position as a diverse destination, a leader in the nature tourism sector, and committed to sustainability and environmental conservation.

Embratur President Marcelo Freixo detailed the work plan. "We will select priority itineraries for international promotion and strategic countries to promote these destinations. This is achieved through data collection and research to guide the best tools. This is how Brazil has been gaining visibility abroad and breaking records in the number of international tourists and the foreign currency these tourists bring to our economy."

"We cannot ignore the debate on the challenges posed by climate change. And nature tourism is a way to promote economic viability so that our forests and woodlands acquire greater value through conservation. Tourism can be a sustainable economic model that guarantees environmental protection for a region's population and, through this activity, can boost the economy and ensure development, employment, and income," he emphasized.

For Renata Mendes, executive director of the Semeia Institute, “the renewal of this agreement with Embratur represents an important step in consolidating the Semeia Institute's work within the federal tourism agenda, a relationship we have been building since 2021, as we recognize the immense potential of park tourism to drive Brazil's development,” she said.

According to her, during the first year of the ACT, the creation of a criteria matrix began to help Embratur define the parks that should be prioritized in its promotional efforts. "With the continuation of this collaboration, we want to contribute even more with qualified data to help us strategically select destinations worthy of international promotion, considering the enormous diversity of our parks," she noted.

Data

A survey by the Semeia Institute revealed that of the 308 national and state parks currently registered, 165 have monitored visits. In 2023, they received a total of 15.9 million visits, including Brazilian and foreign tourists. Tijuca National Park, in Rio de Janeiro, led the ranking of visits, with 4,664,257. It was followed by Iguazu National Park, in Paraná, with 1,800,225 visits, and Jericoacoara National Park, in Ceará, which received 1,487,283 national and international tourists.

Visits could sustainably reach 56 million visitors, generate up to one million jobs, and have an impact of up to R$44 billion on the country's GDP, according to the study "Parks as Vectors of Development for Brazil," published in 2021 by the Semeia Institute and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). If the average annual growth rate of 5% is maintained, according to the Brazilian Parks Visitometer, this visitor potential is expected to be reached by 2049.

Technical Cooperation Agreement

Embratur signed the Tourism Cooperation Agreement (ACT) with the Semeia Institute on June 18, 2024. The agreement seeks joint actions to internationally promote nature tourism products and experiences in Brazilian destinations. One of the clauses of the agreement is the promotion and encouragement of the use of the Brazil Brand in its ventures, teams, and the provision of its services. It also provides for the exchange of data, studies, information, and other content that contribute to the development of its activities and the segment.

Among the expected outcomes of the ACT are increasing the number of international visitors to Brazilian parks and strengthening the tourism culture in these spaces, in addition to diversifying the activities and experiences offered to visitors from other countries.

Source: Embratur.