Expanding the presence of Chinese tourists in Brazil has become a more structured part of the federal government’s agenda. The Ministry of Tourism created a Working Group dedicated to developing strategies to increase the flow of visitors from China. The initiative brings together public sector representatives, tourism sector bodies and private companies around a common objective: to position Brazil more competitively in one of the largest outbound tourism markets in the world.

The measure comes at a time of rapprochement between Brasília and Beijing, marked by the improvement in commercial, cultural and institutional relations, and reflects the understanding that tourism can play an increasingly significant role in the diversification of the bilateral partnership.

The initiative is part of a broader context of strengthening Sino-Brazilian relations. In recent years, the bilateral agenda has come to include new areas of co-operation, beyond trade in goods and investment in infrastructure. Education, science, innovation, the creative economy and cultural exchange have gained increasing prominence in negotiations between the two governments, in a movement reinforced by the Brazil-China Cultural Year and by the expansion of initiatives aimed at bringing the societies of the two countries closer together.

In this context, tourism emerges as an instrument capable of deepening mutual understanding, stimulating new business opportunities and strengthening ties built beyond the economic sphere.

(Source: Agência Brasil China, 7 July)