Embratur (Brazilian Tourism Institute) and the Brazilian Luxury Travel Association (BLTA) have signed a technical cooperation agreement with the aim of increasing promotion of Brazilian luxury tourist destinations abroad. The signing took place in early July, during the Tourism Salon, in the city of São Paulo.
According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), despite answering to just 3% of tourist turnover, the luxury segment accounts for 25% of total revenues from tourism worldwide.
The goal of the partnership is to place Brazilian luxury destinations and products under the spotlight through greater participation in international fairs, publishing of material, promotion of workshops, invitations to specialized foreign journalists and operators, conduction of research and studies on the sector, and organization of caravans for tourist operators to visit Brazilian destinations and products.
The leading tourist destinations in Brazil include the beaches of Angra dos Reis, Paraty, Florianópolis and Fernando de Noronha, nature destinations in the Amazon, Lençóis, Foz do Iguaçu, Chapada Diamantina, Lençóis Maranhenses, Pantanal and the cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador.
"Currently, luxury tourists not only seek first-class services, they also want unique experiences. And Brazil, with its cultural, natural, patrimonial, ethnical and historical diversity, can provide foreign tourists with this exclusive, differentiated experience," explains sales support manager Karem Basulto, in a press release issued by Embratur.
The agreement inaugurates a new mode of cooperation between Embratur and the private sector, which operates in specific tourist segments: the new format forecasts a partnership with no direct fund transfers, featuring cooperation based on information exchange and the use of tools for international promotion by the institute.
Embratur already participates annually in the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), held in December in Cannes, France. The event brings together approximately 3,600 professionals specialized in the luxury segment from across the world.
According to survey ILTM Industry Report, luxury travels totaled 25 million passengers and US$ 180 billion in expenditure, or roughly US$ 7,200 per person. The countries with the largest number of luxury tourists are the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy.
Anba