Brazil aims to harness gastronomic tourism to attract tourists

Monday, May 20, 2019

The first public hearing of the Extraordinary Commission of Tourism and Gastronomy of the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais was held recently. The focus of the collegiate work was to discuss and support actions, programs and public policies that enable the generation of employment and income through gastronomic tourism in the state.

Secretary of Tourism and Culture of MG, Marcelo Matte also highlighted the potential that the Minas Gerais cuisine has to play a fundamental role in the axis of tourist attraction of the state.

“Our gastronomy is a huge local asset and will be the center of a national campaign we are preparing,” he said, highlighting the importance of linking Minas’s cultural potential to the equation.

Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio opines that the positive evaluation of Brazilian gastronomy by 95.7% of foreigners visiting national destinations is an indication that the cuisine should be treated as a tourism product capable of stimulating the competitiveness of the sector.

“The MTur wants to value the power that gastronomic tourism has to encourage trips. Like neighboring countries like Peru and Colombia, we will work to make our food a reference when it comes to selling Brazil, starting with Minas Gerais, “said the minister.

Federal deputy and president of the Tourism Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Newton Cardoso Jr highlighted the “recognition of immaterial mineral heritage through gastronomy.” He recalled that cheese bread is inseparable from mining origin and that the state should exploit the positive image to generate business and strengthen the mining identity in national and global tourism.

Already the chairman of the Extraordinary Commission of AL-MG, Representative Professor Irineu, considered the debate a decisive moment for the development of the sector in Minas. “Tourism has never been so well represented and I am sure it will take off,” he said, thanking the presence of the minister and the president of the Chamber’s CT.

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