The Brazilian government has established a new policy called the National Policy for Tourism Management of Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites. The decree is part of a series of measures that ministry is adopting with the objective of improving the business environment for the tourism sector and increasing opportunities for investments in Brazil. The proposal is in line with the 2018-2022 National Tourism Plan, which defined as one of its strategies the goal “to promote the value of cultural and natural heritage for tourism.”
The announcement is the result of a part-nership between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministries of Citizenship, Environment and Re-gional Development, with the support of the Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the Institute of Historical He-ritage and National Arts (IPHAN).
The goal of the new law is to help maintain, develop new programs, organize projects and promote the tourist segments related to the Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites in Brazil. Brazil has 21 recognized UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites are split between Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites.
“This initiative represents a milestone in the valuation and preservation of our natural and cultural heritage. We rank eighth among countries with cultural attractions in the world and we need to know how to take better advantage of our potential to attract more and more foreign visitors and also encourage more Brazilians to know the beauty of our own country,” said Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio.
Some of these natural and cultural sites are:
• Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia
• Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves
• Iguaçu National Park
• The Complex of Protected Areas of Central Amazonia
• Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea
• Pantanal Conservation Area
• Historic Town of Ouro Preto