Brazil Tourism Gets High Rating in International Study

Embratur, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, was rated highly in a recent Euromonitor International study tracking tourism trends worldwide. Embratur’s promotional campaigns were seen as some of the strongest initiatives launched to combat the global economic crisis.

Two campaigns specifically aimed at luxury tourism and at Asian markets were recognized, as were The World Cup, Olympics and the end of banded pricing for airfares. Euromonitor International’s World Travel Market Global Trends Report identifies innovative and proactive measures governments and the private sector took in 2009 to reduce the impact of the global economic crisis on the tourism sector.

The report cites Latin America, where countries are investing in luxury products, and highlights Embratur’s initiatives to promote the sector in partnership with the Brazilian Luxury Travel Association (BLTA). These initiatives include trade show participation and offering orientation trips to operators who specialize in this category.

The study cites the July agreement Embratur and BLTA signed to promote Brazilian luxury products in the United States, Italy, France, Portugal, Germany and Argentina. This partnership seeks visitors who will stay in a destination eight times longer than the average tourist and spend $20,000 per trip rather than the average of $2,500.

Brazil’s rise as a luxury destination was also highlighted in Condé Nast Traveler, which included five Brazilian hotels –Unique, Pousada Maravilha, Kiaroa Eco-Luxury Resort, Ponta dos Ganchos and Kurotel- in its list of Latin America’s best luxury hotels.

The study points out joint campaigns Brazil and Argentina have undertaken to attract increasing numbers of tourists from Japan, South Korea and China to South America, calling out workshops, event participation and the year-end launch of direct flights between South Korea and Brazil as sure bets for promoting the country.

The mission of the Brazilian Tourism Board, Embratur, is to promote Brazil in the international market as a destination for travelers. The Brazilian Federal Government and Embratur have implemented the Aquarela Plan, which calls for generating consumer awareness about Brazil and attracting more tourists.

The established target for the U.S. sector is increasing the annual numbers for tourists entering the country to 9 million, and attracting a total amount of $8 billion in revenue by 2010. There are nine Embratur offices globally, including Lisbon, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan and Tokyo. There is also a Bureau for Tourism for Latin America, based at the Embratur office, in the city of Brasília.