ITB China News 2018 - Day 3 Edition

AMERICAS
REGION
13
Vinícius
Lummertz
President, Embratur
“Post Games Brazil” –
Maintaining Momentum
Culture, ecotourism & adventure, sun &
beach make up the nation’s new tourism
offering
The World Cup Soccer and
the Olympic Games have of
course had a positive effect
on global perception of Brazil
as a destination. But how is
Embratur, the country’s DMO,
attempting to perpetuate
this? We put the question to
Embratur President, Vinícius
Lummertz.
At the end of the series of megaevents
held in Brazil, (starting with
the Pan-American Cup in 2007,
followed by Rio+20, World Youth
Day, the Confederations Cup, the
World Cup and the Olympic Games)
Brazil have benefitted from ample
exposure to the outside world
and the building of both basic and
touristic infrastructure.
The total investment in the Olympic
Games was of R$11 billion, 57%
from the private sector and 43%
from the public sector. For every
R$ 1 invested in sports facilities,
another R$ 5 are applied in projects
for the city that shall remain as a
legacy for locals and tourists.
To keep the positive trend, Brazil
is now implementing a series of
measures for tourists planning
to visit Brazil. One big step is the
electronic visa that will facilitate
the entrance of tourists coming
from Japan, the United States and
Australia. This upgrade of the
tourism process will also leverage
the sector in Brazil, generating
more employment and income.
Brazil is also working to improve
the air connectivity. In Europe,
there were an increase in flights of
10.80% (from 852 to 944); as in seats
of 9.54% (from 256,896 to 281,408),
comparing February 2017 to the
same period this year.
Embratur is also working on content
sharing in their social channels
such as Facebook, Instagram
and YouTube. Digital influencers
are now playing a big role in the
way we are promoting Brazil
Internationally. In addition, we
have been doing an intense work
focused on tour operators aiming
to increase the number of operators
that are qualified to commercialize
Brazil with excellence. This
includes different activities such as
workshops, roadshows and online
trainings.
DIGITAL
INFLUENCERS
ARE NOW PLAYING
A BIG ROLE IN THE
WAY WE ARE
PROMOTING BRAZIL
INTERNATIONALLY
What are the key local “products”
being promoted here?
This year, the segments highlighted
will be culture, ecotourism &
adventure, and sun & beach. Within
that, Brazil will be promoting
its nautical and luxury segment,
beyond the many resort options
available
STAND No. 510
TRANSPORT AND TOURISM
INFRASTRUCTURE SET
TO BE GIVEN A BOOST
IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Industry professionals at
ITB China from Dominican
Republic are here “fresh” from
the recent DATE conference in
Punta Cana.
Industry experts at this year’s
Dominican Annual Tourism
Exchange (DATE) conference
agreed upon several initiatives
set to build on three trending
niches: declared family travel,
authentic experiences and
luxury.
80% of all visits to Dominican
Republic’s protected areas
are by foreigners, and once
again Colonial City ranked
number two – after Isla
Saona, amongst the most
visited attractions. This
trend confirms that visitors
are increasingly looking to
explore beyond the beaches
– and tourism operators have
taken note.
At this year’s DATE, Best
Day (BD) Travel shared
its remarkable growth, in
2017 BD served 79,500
passengers transporting
tourists to the country’s lush
North Coast, cosmopolitan
Santo Domingo, luxurious
Punta Cana and the
unexplored Southwest. As a
direct result of its growth BD
celebrated its second office
in Santo Domingo which
opened in December 2017 to
support its 20% growth rate
for 2018. The company has
projects under way in Puerto
Plata, in addition to launching
a Dominican version of
its successful proprietary
services app., all by Q4 2018.
From romance for two, to
a luxurious family soiree,
Dominican Republic offers
a world-class portfolio of
destinations perfect for every
traveller, now more accessible
than ever.
In 2018 Dominican Republic
will see major road
renovations including the East
Region Road Circuit, which
contributes to nearly 80% of
all tourism income.
In the Southwest, an
expansion is in the works
which will connect Santo
Domingo to the booming
Southwest. This development
will increase connection
between the capital city and
the up-and-coming touristic
areas of Barahona, Baní and
Pedernales
STAND No. 731
ITB CHINA NEWS • Friday 18 th May 2018