As part of the “Tourism + Brazil” program, the Ministry of Tourism proposed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the implementation of an electronic visa system by the end of this year, initially for tourists coming from the USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan. The Minister of Tourism stated that he is also considering the inclusion of other countries, such as India and China, in the system.
The tourists coming from the participating countries will have an easier process to apply for entry into Brazil starting at the end of 2017. The entire visa process (application, fee payment, analysis, granting, and issuance) for visitors from these countries will be done online and completed within 48 hours.
This easier application process will provide a significant boost to the sector. With this measure, the expectation is that the facilitated entry will inject R$ 1.4 billion into the economy over two years.
For the president of Embratur, Vinicius Lummertz, the visa requirement is the most important barrier to the growth of foreign tourism in any country.
“Today, tourism represents about 9% of Brazil’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Numbers from the WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) indicate that countries can experience a growth of 5% to 25% in tourism revenue by reducing entry visa requirements,” explained Lummertz.
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the facilitation of travel can generate increases of up to 20% in flows between destinations.Major Sources of Tourists
The measure mainly affects these four countries, considered strategic due to the number of tourists and the travel spending they generate. In 2016, 849,000 tourists from the USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan came to Brazil – or 15% of the total 6.6 million foreign tourists who visited the country last year. They spent R$ 539 million in the Brazilian economy.
During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Brazil granted a temporary exemption from the diplomatic reciprocity policy for travelers from these four countries. The experience recorded a 55.31% increase in the number of foreigners from the beneficiary countries compared to the same period in 2015.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Tourism, 82% of these tourists said that the visa exemption would facilitate their return to Brazil.Visa Policy
The visa policy of Brazil is based on the principle of reciprocity. This means that people from the USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan, countries that require visas from Brazilian citizens for entry into their territories, will also need authorization to travel to Brazil.
The electronic visa aims to facilitate the entry of these tourists into Brazilian territory. Subsequently, Brazil hopes that the initiative will be extended to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, and China. Currently, Brazil has bilateral visa exemption agreements with about 90 countries.
Source: BrazilGovNews