China’s ambassador to Brazil, Zhu Qingqiao, announced the resumption of a tourism promotion strategy in the Asian country for Brazilian destinations, during a meeting with Embratur’s president Marcelo Freixo.
During the meeting, it was agreed to jointly draw up the terms of a tourism promotion partnership between the two countries along with plans for participation in the next edition of the ITB China tourism fair, which will take place in May 2025.
“China is a strategic partner for Brazil in international trade and diplomacy, as well as being a member of BRICS. This partnership with the Chinese government is very strategic for Brazil, and will certainly have a positive impact on a greater flow of travelers between the two countries, with great cultural and commercial exchange, bringing our peoples even closer together,” said Freixo.
The Chinese ambassador was aligned with the idea of bringing the countries closer together, increasing air connectivity and cultural exchange, as “relations between China and Brazil are important and convey to the Chinese the perception that Brazil is a friendly country, which brings more interest in visiting the country,” said the president during the meeting.
Increasing the number of flights linking Brazil abroad is also one of Embratur’s strategies for reaching the international market. With a capacity for 293 passengers, the Air China flight between Beijing and Guarulhos (SP) was resumed at the end of April, after being interrupted in 2020, and the route now makes a technical stopover in Madrid, Spain, twice a week.
During the meeting, Embratur’s Director of International Marketing, Business and Sustainability, Bruno Reis, suggested the International Tourism Acceleration Program (PATI) as an alternative to strengthen air connectivity.
Brazil is the country most sought after by Chinese tourists in South America, with 27,262 Chinese arriving in Brazil from January to May 2024, 59.9% more than in the same period last year (10,915 people).
The two countries are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations this year and 20 years since the creation of the Sino-Brazilian High-Level Commission for Cordination and Cooperation (Cosban).