Eco Tourism Brazil

Adventure travel and Ecotourism are on the rise in Brazil and has become a popular alternative to traditional beach holidays according to the United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organization, due to its “wealth of spectacular places to visit”, such as the its overabundance of world heritage sites, including Igaucu national park and the Amazon Conservation Complex.

After the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian ecotourism began to grow exponentially and the country woke up to its eco-potential. According to official figures, 5 million ecotourists visit destinations like the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetlands, and Abrolhos, a coastal whale watching paradise. Ecotourism has generated $4.95 billion for the economy. The tourism industry in general grows by 3% a year, ecotourism is up by 15% and Bonito is experiencing 20-30% annual growth in its tourism trade.

Dorival Bruni, president of the non-profit Biosphere Society estimates that Ecotourism which is accounting for 15% of the travel industry, could make up as much as 50% by 2010.

Laura Rendell-Dunn, marketing manager for Journey Latin America, asserts that ecotourism is “very popular” among environmentally conscious holidaymakers.

She commented: “We all like to go on holiday but we also want to know that we are not causing damage. That is very much at the forefront of people’s minds when they travel now.”

The interest in cave tourism in Brazil also has grown quite a lot due to the technical enhancements developed at the conservation units of the country over the years. According to the Brazilian Cave Tourism Society, there about 2,800 registered caves and the institution acknowledges that the number is quite higher. From this total, 53 are considered as tourist sites.

Brazil has launched a two-step program to realize its ecotourism potential sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).The project began last year with a $13 million pilot program called Proecotur to prop up projects in the Amazon. $200 million countrywide program is planned to follow for the infrastructure improvements and to fund the private sector to develop specific attractions, accommodations, etc. Roberto Morao, president of the Brazilian Ecotourism Association (Ecobrasil) has said “Normally youask for the money first and see how things work out later, But we’re going to see how it works first and then move forward.”

An ambitious Pantanal Project includes an ecotourism component was launched in conjunction with the IDB. Embratur, Brazilian tourism agency hired the Terra consultancy in partnership with private IEB to make a comprehensive study of potential ecotourism sites around the country. Nearly 88 different eco-poles have been identified and local governments are launching independent initiatives to improve infrastructure and promote travel in these poles.

The environment minister Carlos Minc has introduced new policies to tackle climate changes. He has said that the government is promoting sustainable tourism and it’s good for Brazil because it generates a lot of money for the local communities. The efforts stem to overseas buyers who are investing in property in Brazil as well, according to Mr Minc, who believes that they are being made aware of environmental concerns.