UAE, 31 July, 2018 - The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) welcomed the announcement made by Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism to send its own contingent to the UAE to promote the country as an attractive tourist destination for Arab travelers, saying that such a move is a step in the right direction as both countries continue to seek ways to strengthen their bilateral relations in tourism and other key economic sectors.

The statement issued by Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism came after Brazil and the UAE agreed to a visa waiver agreement for leisure, business, and transit travelers. Under the agreement, leisure, business, and transit travelers can stay up to 90 days every 12 months in each state by simply providing a valid passport on arrival at no cost. The waiver, however, does not apply for study or work purposes, an online report stated.

Apart from promoting Brazil’s tourism industry in the UAE, the Brazilian mission is also eyeing to win more tourism investments and nurturing robust experience and knowledge sharing between the two nations.

Michel Alaby, Secretary General and CEO of ABCC, said: “Enjoying vibrant ties across sectors, the UAE and Brazil have long focused on tourism as one of the strong focal points to further strengthen their economic and trade alliance. The strategic plan to send Brazilian mission to the UAE will open up more opportunities for critical tourism investments and cooperation.  The proposed visit is a testament as well to both parties’ seriousness to bolster their ties in this industry as evidenced by their recent visa waiver agreement. As an organization working to increase the trade and investment flow between Brazil and 22 Arab countries, the ABCC is more than willing to extend any kind of support to ensure the success of the planned mission.The UAE businessmen who come to Brazil for tourism will find in São Paulo the house of the Arabs in Brazil, the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters, to support them in search of trade and investment opportunities.”

An online report said that no date for the mission has been set yet as authorities are still sorting our relevant details. The plan was announced after Brazilian Tourism Minister Vinicius Lummertz met with UAE Ambassadress to Brazil Hafsa Al Ulama last month. During the meeting, both sides expressed interest to come up with a Memorandum of Understanding covering tourism, airline connections, visits, and events designed to draw investment into Brazil.

Quoting Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism, the same report noted that Emiratis rank 20th on a World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) list of nationalities that spend the most in international trips. The average Emirati visitor reportedly spends USD 1,740 on each trip abroad. Moreover, Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism has noted the rising Brazil-UAE flight frequencies, which are seen to exponentially grow after the Emirates launched a new São Paulo-Dubai route.