Ministério do Turismo

Ministério do Turismo
Name	Ministério do Turismo
Native name	Ministério do Turismo
Formed	2003
Jurisdiction	Brazil
Headquarters	Brasília
Minister	Carlos Alberto Gomes
Website	Ministério do Turismo

Ministério do Turismo is the federal ministry responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on tourism in Brazil. It coordinates policies across federal agencies and state secretariats such as the Secretaria de Turismo do Estado de São Paulo and collaborates with institutions like the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística and the Confederação Nacional do Comércio. The ministry interfaces with international bodies including the World Tourism Organization, the Inter-American Development Bank, and multilateral forums such as the United Nations system.

History

Created in 2003 during the administration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the ministry succeeded predecessor bodies that had handled tourism within the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services. Its formation followed policy debates involving figures like Gilberto Gil and institutions such as the Banco do Nordeste do Brasil and the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social on regional tourism development and cultural promotion. Early initiatives referenced models from the United Kingdom's tourism agencies and the United States Department of Commerce's tourism programs. Over subsequent administrations, ministers drawn from political parties including the Workers' Party (Brazil), the Brazilian Democratic Movement, and the Social Democratic Party (Brazil, 1987) shaped shifts in priorities between domestic development, international promotion, and crisis response to events such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Organization and Structure

The ministry is organized into secretariats and departments, including the Secretariat of Tourism Planning, the Secretariat of Territorial Development, and the Secretariat of Promotion and Markets. It supervises federal agencies and bodies like the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional when tourism intersects with heritage sites, and liaises with state-level secretariats such as the Secretaria de Turismo do Rio de Janeiro and municipal authorities such as the Prefeitura de Salvador. Leadership includes a minister, undersecretaries, and directors responsible for areas including product development, regional programs, and regulation, working with advisory councils comprising representatives from entities like the Confederação Nacional do Comércio and the Federação do Comércio do Estado de São Paulo.

Functions and Responsibilities

The ministry's remit includes promoting tourist destinations, regulating industry standards, and designing policies for sustainable tourism across regions including the Amazon Rainforest, the Pantanal, the Cerrado, and coastal zones like Fernando de Noronha. It sets guidelines for public-private partnerships with corporations such as Infraero and state development banks like the Banco do Brasil, and coordinates disaster response for events affecting tourism involving agencies like the Ministry of Health (Brazil) and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. The ministry also oversees programs aimed at training labor for hospitality sectors, working with professional schools such as the Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Comercial and industry associations like the Brazilian Association of Hotels.

Policies and Programs

Major programs have included destination marketing campaigns, regional investment incentives for areas such as the Northeast Region, Brazil and the South Region, Brazil, and heritage conservation projects at sites like the Historic Centre of Salvador and the São Francisco River basin. The ministry has launched campaigns tied to international events including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, and managed rural tourism initiatives in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply and development banks like the Inter-American Development Bank. Training and certification schemes have been implemented with partners including the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's tourism programs, while marketing has involved national promotion through missions in capitals such as Washington, D.C., London, Madrid, and Beijing.

Budget and Funding

Funding sources include allocations from Brazil's federal budget overseen by the Ministry of Finance (Brazil), transfers to states and municipalities, and revenues from tourism taxes and fees collected at airports operated by entities like Infraero. Investment financing has involved instruments from the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social and credit lines coordinated with the Banco do Brasil and regional development banks such as the Banco do Nordeste do Brasil. Budgetary priorities have at times been contested in the National Congress of Brazil during debates over allocations for infrastructure projects, cultural heritage, and promotion.

International Cooperation and Partnerships

The ministry maintains bilateral and multilateral cooperation with organizations including the World Tourism Organization, the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and national tourism boards such as VisitBritain, Tourism Australia, and Destination Canada. It participates in regional forums like the Mercosur working groups and engages in technical cooperation with countries including Portugal, Spain, China, and South Africa to exchange best practices on sustainable tourism, heritage management, and crisis response.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics have pointed to issues involving project mismanagement, controversies over public procurement connected to events such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, and disputes in the National Congress of Brazil concerning oversight of subsidies and incentive programs. Environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and local movements in the Amazon Rainforest have accused certain infrastructure projects of risking biodiversity and indigenous territories represented by associations such as the Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira. Allegations of politicization of appointments and conflicts with heritage bodies like the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional have arisen during debates over conservation versus commercial development.

Category:Brazilian federal ministries Category:Tourism in Brazil