China’s ambassador to Brazil has announced that a strategy promoting Chinese tourism to the South American giant is about to get back on track, and indicated that strengthening air connectivity between the two countries will be its focal point.
Ambassador Zhu Qingqiao made the announcement during a meeting with Marcelo Freixo, president of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur). The pair agreed to draw up joint terms for a tourism partnership, along with plans for Brazil to participate in the next year’s edition of ITB China – Asia’s largest travel industry event.
Air China flights between Beijing and São Paulo only resumed at the end of April, after being interrupted in 2020 by the pandemic. The flight now operates twice weekly, carrying up to 293 passengers with a technical stopover in Madrid, Spain. Other airlines also ply the route.
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Also at the meeting, Embratur’s director of international marketing, business and sustainability, Bruno Reis, suggested Brazil’s recently launched International Tourism Acceleration Program (PATI) could be used to boost flight routes between China and Brazil.
Brazil is the most popular South American destination for Chinese travellers. More than 27,000 Chinese tourists visited the country in the first five months of 2024, a 60 percent year-on-year increase. In addition to its famous natural wonders and iconic events like Carnival, there was also a sense among the Chinese public that Brazil is “a friendly country”, said Zhu.
Freixo also praised the relationship between Brazil and China, which celebrated 50 years of diplomacy this year. “This partnership with the Chinese government is very strategic for Brazil, and will certainly have a positive impact on a greater flow of travellers between the two countries … bringing our peoples even closer together,” he said.
