A practical guide on racial equality in tourism was launched on Tuesday (9), in a partnership between the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur) and the Latin American and Caribbean Development Bank (CAF).
The document defines afrotourism as a segment that values and promotes Black culture, history, identity, and ancestry. It also proposes experiences led by Black protagonists.
The launch took place in Salvador (BA) during the International Afrotourism Trails workshop, organized by the agency.
The guide emerges as a direct response to a scenario of exclusion. In the face of this reality, afrotourism is presented as a vector for social transformation aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as eradicating poverty, promoting gender equality, and reducing inequalities.
“Promoting racial equality is not just a matter of social justice, but of market intelligence and competitiveness,” stated Embratur President Marcelo Freixo. According to him, “by creating truly inclusive and safe environments, we are qualifying our destinations and positioning Brazil as a global leader in afrotourism, a segment with enormous growth potential that values our greatest asset: cultural diversity”.
Embratur’s Afrotourism, Diversity, and Indigenous Peoples Coordinator Tania Neres said the guide is a tool to guide the market.
“This publication materializes our commitment to provide clear guidelines. It is a decisive step to build a sector that reflects Brazil’s diversity and welcomes everyone in a fair and respectful way,” she added.
For CAF’s Diversity Director Eddi Marcelin, afrotourism is the valorization of Brazilian culture, history, and identity.
“With this guide, we continue strengthening the ecosystem that has Black people as protagonists, generating economic impact while celebrating memory and pride”.
A member of the team responsible for producing the Guide, Embratur/CAF consultant Natália Oliveira highlights the uniqueness of the material.
“Launching a document that provides guidelines for welcoming Black tourists is an important advancement in building antiracist tourism.”
The guide proposes an active antiracism stance, defined as the continuous confrontation of racist doctrines and practices. The document offers a detailed roadmap for companies, suggesting actions such as reviewing job postings to avoid exclusionary language, expanding outreach in Black community networks, and creating diversified interviewer panels. It also recommends continuous team training in Racial Literacy, a concept that refers to the ability to recognize different forms of racism, and the creation of promotional materials that positively represent diversity, avoiding associating Black people exclusively with service roles, for example.
With this initiative, Embratur and CAF provide the sector with a robust tool, advocating that recognizing and valuing Afro-Brazilian culture is the path to fairer tourism and a stronger Brazil on the international scene.
Source: Agência Brasil