Exceeding 22%, Acre was the state with the biggest variation in tourism revenue in the country – ac24horas.com

The data shows that the state of Acre recorded revenue of R$12,600, which represents an increase of 22.7% compared to January last year. The survey is carried out monthly by the Council and evaluates the performance of each state in the segment.

In the analysis by region, 20 of the 27 federative units registered growth in revenue in January, in the annual comparison. Those with the biggest changes in the month were Acre (22.7%), Rondônia (8.9%), Amazonas (8.7%) and the Federal District (7.2%). Those that earned the most were São Paulo (R$4.41 billion), Rio de Janeiro (R$1.25 billion), Minas Gerais (R$1.17 billion) and Santa Catarina (R$868 million).

The head of the State Secretariat for Tourism and Entrepreneurship (Sete), Marcelo Messias, highlights that the numbers are the results of investment and planning, which must be increasingly strengthened.

The secretary also informs that the department must continue to act strongly in the promotion, promotion and dissemination of the state as a tourist destination in fairs and events, remembering that the calendar of tourist events is already an action to strengthen the activity, which allows the tourist trade and the population plan participation in festive dates.

“We intend to improve the basic infrastructure of tourist attractions in communities and in indigenous villages. We already have some projects underway in this sense, such as the expansion of all the kitchens in the inns located in Serra do Divisor and Croa, the renovation project at Mirante da Serra, the replacement of boatmen who take tourists to Croa with engines diesel by electric motors, reducing the environmental impact that this fuel causes when thrown into the river”, highlights the manager.

Of the 22 cities in Acre, 12 are included in the Tourism Map, a federal government tool that defines the area – territorial section – to be worked on primarily by the Ministry of Tourism within the scope of the development of public policies.

Currently, there are three tourist routes in the state of Acre registered on the Map: Paths of the Revolution, which includes the municipalities of Plácido de Castro, Porto Acre and Rio Branco; Caminhos das Aldeias e da Biodiversidade, with Cruzeiro do Sul, Mâncio Lima, Marechal Thaumaturgo, Porto Walter, Rodrigues Alves and Tarauacá; and Caminhos do Pacifico, with Assis Brasil, Epitaciolândia and Xapuri.

Another important measure to further promote the sector was the inclusion, for the first time, of 23 indigenous festivals in the state’s events calendar. Ethnotourism is one of the main segments that attract visitors to the state.

Photo: Marcos Vicentti/Secom

“It was a great achievement. A festival had never been included in the State’s cultural calendar and, this year, not only did it enter, but we managed to include 23 festivals. We just have to thank the governor, who has spared no effort to make our ethnotourism grow even more. Last year, of the increase we had in foreign tourists, 80% was due to ethnotourism. All states in the Amazon have their ethnotourism, but none like ours. It’s something different, which renews our energy”, observes the secretary.

For the future, according to the manager, the challenge is to increase the cities listed on this map and provide support so that they are also part of the state’s tourist itinerary.

“We are also working to encourage and support the 12 municipalities that are part of the Brazilian Tourism Map in renewing their registration and to implement the Tourism Regionalization Program in the other municipalities in Acre that are not yet part of the catalog and that have tourist products to offer to the market. All of these initiatives are aimed at improving the quality of the supply of tourist products and services, increasing the flow of visitors and encouraging the generation of jobs and income for the population”, informs Marcelo.

This work, according to the secretary, needs to be done constantly and with partnerships. Therefore, the development of the sector should mean an expansion in several other segments linked to the activity: “We have made efforts with this objective. We know that any form of economic development requires consistent and dynamic work to bring collective benefits to the entire population, and this is a sector capable of promoting economic acceleration and growth in the social, cultural and environmental areas for our state. We are working to make Acre an authentic and quality destination on the national and international scene.”