Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil, won four of the eight
Routes of Brazil trophies, an award granted by the Brazilian Ministry
of Tourism in recognition for the success cases under the Tourism
Regionalization Program across the country.
Tourist destinations in the states of Piauí, Ceará, Maranhão and Paraná were also awarded. The result was disclosed in the Brazilian capital, Brasília.
The prize is a celebration of the five years of the Tourism Regionalization Program – Routes of Brazil, whose goals include the structuring of destinations, the improvement of tourist services, and an increase in average stay and spending by tourists.
The contest involved more than 90 different tourist destinations, regions and routes across Brazil, in which there are actions of the Program underway. Fifteen jurors selected one successful case for each of the program's themes.
Minas Gerais was the grand winner. The municipality of Itabirito won the Tourist Destination Management category; Santana do Riacho won Environmental Sustainability in Municipalities; the Association of the Tourist Circuit of Gold was the best case of Planning and Management of Regional Tourism; and the Website of Estrada Real won the Promotional Website category.
In addition to its four wins, the state of Minas ranked second in the Segmented Tourist Route or Destination category, with its Menu of Historic Cities' Products, and third in Regional Tourism Planning and Management for the Minas de Ouro (Gold Mines) project and Circuito dos Diamantes (Diamond Circuit).
In a press release, the secretary of Tourism of the state of Minas Gerais, í‰rica Drummond, said that the good results obtained in the Routes from Brazil Trophy are proof that the public policy for tourism in the state is on the right path.
"We develop coordinated actions involving all of the municipalities and tourist circuit associations. This award is a recognition for the commitment and dedication of our Tourist Circuit Associations, which work in line with our public policy for tourism, aiming to make Minas Gerais into the best and most visited tourist destination in the country," she said.
Anba