Brazil to launch tourism committee in Canada

With the 2016 Rio Olympic Summer Games less than a year away, Brazil is taking steps to capitalize on the expected spike in tourism by increasing its presence amongst the travel trade in the Toronto area.

Embratur, the Brazilian Tourism Board, informed a gathering of travel agents and tour operators at an event last night that the destination would be initiating a Discover Brazil Committee in Toronto.

The committee, according to Alexandre Nakagawa, markets manager for Embratur, will be a joint effort between the Consulate of Brazil in Toronto, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, and some significant Canadian travel partners, such as Air Canada, who met with Embratur prior to the event.

“The committee will be comprised of airlines and tour operators,” he told PAX in a one-on-one interview. “We pre-selected the best ones in Canada, and today was the first official meeting.”

Nakagawa went on to say that the idea for the committee was first conceived following a visit by Vinicius Lummertz, president of Embratur, to the Pan Am Games in Toronto earlier this year.

“He returned home from his visit and announced that it would be important for us to install a committee in Canada,” Nakagawa said, explaining that while Brazil has a strong presence in the U.S., Lummertz felt it was equally as important to be active further north.

Nakagawa confirmed that the Discover Brazil Committee will be officially instated in 2016, and a promotional plan is being prepared to equip agents with the resources they need to begin selling Brazil more frequently, and to more of their clients. The eventual goal is for the committee to be able to reach out to other Canadian cities as well, to address tourism demands that exist throughout the country.

The event was attended by Jose Vicente de Sa Pimentel, Consul General of the Federative Republic of Brazil, who informed guests that in an attempt to enhance tourism, visas will be waived for travel to Brazil between March and September 2016.

Canada is expected to be included in the list of countries benefiting from the waiver, and the measure is expected to be confirmed at any time - ideally by January, Pimentel told PAX - to allow agencies time to plan their clients’ trips. It’s an idea he said he’s been advocating for a long time.

“Canada is an untapped market,” he continued. “We know very little about each other, and I think both countries will benefit greatly if they get a little better acquainted.”

He also pointed out that the travel industry’s role will be “essential” to the process, hence the committee.

“We want their ideas, we want their cooperation,” he said of trade members’ participation, “and we want their guidance.”

Agents looking to contact Embratur for information about Brazil can connect with Ney Ottoni at ney.embratur@promo.tur.br, or 1-773-691-3025.

Fast facts on Brazil

• It’s the fifth largest country in the world.
• The Brazilian Tourism Board centres its promotion around four main elements: Brazil’s culture, its ecotourism and adventure opportunities, its sports, and its beaches.
• Brazil has 204 million inhabitants.
• The population mainly speaks Portuguese, and is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world.
• Brazil is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• The country also has six distinct ecosystems.
• Air Canada provides daily non-stop flights between Toronto and Sao Paulo.

PHOTO: Alexandre Nakagawa, markets manager, Embratur; Jose Vicente de Sa Pimentel, Consul General of the Federative Republic of Brazil & Ney Ottoni, Brazil Account Manager – North America.