Tourism revenue expected to reach US$4 billion

Ivan Richard

Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília - Since the creation of the Ministry of Tourism in 2003, sector revenue has practically doubled and is expected reach US$4 billion this year, reports minister Walfrido dos Mares Guia.

And as the sector is labor-intensive, that is good news; the minister says that direct and indirect employment in the sector in 2005 is over 300,000.

Mares Guia says Brazil has won a place on the world tourism map. And that was possible because the government made tourism a state policy priority, he says. The minister reports that the government established a four-year plan under which there would be 1.2 million jobs in the tourism sector by the year 2007 and revenue of US$8 billion. "I think we will exceed those targets," says Mares Guia.

Translation: Allen Bennett