Brasilia is home to some of the heritage sites and tourist destinations in Brazil
Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
The potential of tourism between Qatar and Brazil is enormous, a senior official of the Brazil embassy has said. "This year has been special, attracting hundreds of Qatar residents to Brazil," charge d'affaires Viviane Rios Balbino told Gulf Times.
The FIFA 2014 World Cup held during June and July, and the direct flight service Qatar Airways conducts to Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, were among the main reasons that promoted travel from Qatar.
"The QA flight maybe long (over 14 hours) but many people are attracted to it. It is still a direct flight and I think we could stimulate and promote tourism even more,” she felt.
Qataris and expatriates in Qatar focus their Brazil trips mostly on Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro, going by the trend. From April to June this year, the Brazil embassy in Doha issued more than 500 visas, many of which for the football fans. So far this year, nearly 1,000 visas have been issued.
“In previous years, it was around 600 visas. It almost doubled this year but we have to wait for next year before we can say it is a trend,” said Balbino, adding that about one fifth of the applicants were Qataris.
While most of the visas issued were for tourists, the official noted that they also issue a lot of business visas, mainly for Qataris.
About Brazil’s top tourist destinations, she cited 19 of their UNESCO heritage sites including her home city, Brasília, the capital.
“We have such an array of destinations, including the eco-tourism category, which features a tour of the Amazon rainforests and the unexplored beaches in the northeast part,” the charge d'affaires explained.
However, language barriers make tourism and the opening up of Brazil to foreign cultures a little bit harder.” As a continental country and linked to the Portuguese colonisation, she admitted that not many Brazilians can speak English.
But the FIFA 2014 World Cup had a major impact on many Brazilians. They were compelled to learn foreign languages, says Balbino.
She said people felt learning a foreign language, especially English, would create new opportunities for them.
“They realized they could achieve more in their professional life, no matter what field they work in. There is a growing conscience nowadays in the country. Things were differfent in the Brazil that I was born in,” she pointed out.
The embassy used to hold Portuguese classes earlier. Now, Brazilian who lives in Doha and specialises on the language can be contacted through the embassy, if required.
About tourism packages, Balbino said they have options for all kinds, ranging from deluxe to budget offers in terms of hotels, restaurants and field trips.
“The positive side is that the offers suit a whole wide range of tourists and you won’t be disappointed,” she added.
