Development Bank of Minas Gerais resumes credit line for micro and small tourism companies

The Development Bank of Minas Gerais (BDMG) announces this Thursday (25/4) the resumption of financing for micro and small companies in the state’s tourism sector, through an exclusive credit line for the sector.

Fungetur guarantees bars, restaurants, inns, among other businesses in this production chain, access to reduced rates of 0.41% per month + INPC, with 48 months to pay.

The values ​​will boost this sector, which is already relevant to the Minas Gerais economy. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the state leads tourist activities in Brazil in the last 12 months.

Since 2019, BDMG has served 1,300 companies linked to tourism, with almost R$250 million in credit.

The bank’s acting president, Antônio Claret Júnior, explains that the credit can be used as working capital, for investments or acquisition of equipment.

The prerequisite for accessing the resource is that the company has the Register of Tourism Service Providers (Cadastur).

“Micro and small companies are the country’s main job generators and drive the trade and services chain. This resource, in these unique conditions, will help companies to be fully equipped to keep the State at the top of national tourism”, says Claret, remembering that in 2023 this was the sector that generated the most jobs in the state.

Business support

In addition to the reduced rates, another differentiator of the Fungetur line is the speed of hiring, which occurs completely digitally. The analysis is done within one hour.

It was these attractions that caught the attention of entrepreneur André Simões Barbosa, owner of Hamburgueria Pão de Queijo Gourmet, in the historic city of Outro Preto, in the Central region.

Located just a few steps from Praça Tiradentes, in the historic center of the city, which is one of the most sought after in Brazil by tourists, the burger restaurant attracts curious people who want to try the sandwich mounted on cheese bread.

Opened 12 years ago, the space gained new furniture and menus, as well as a more modern kitchen, changes that were only possible with financing from BDMG.

“We have a quality product, at an affordable price, made with 100% artisanal products. Changes in structure and machinery had an impact on the increase in new customers, to captivate old ones who like the new developments and, of course, on profits. It also pleased the employees, who are more structured”, he says.

For the businessman, the credit gave “a boost” to the business. “When I saw the rates were much lower than the market and what my capital yielded, I saw the opportunity to boost the burger restaurant. The acquisition method was quick and easy,” he says, already thinking about expanding the business to other cities that make up Estrada Real.

The financing provided by BDMG via Fungetur is obtained from the Ministry of Tourism, with guarantees from the National Support Program for Micro and Small Businesses (Pronampe), which makes access to resources easier for entrepreneurs.

Minas leads ranking

The bank’s credit contributes to promoting tourism activities in all regions of Minas Gerais and is in line with the decentralization of the State Government’s public policies for the sector, which has been recording performance above the national average.

According to IBGE data released in April, Minas Gerais continues to lead the growth in tourist activities in Brazil. The increase is 12.9% accumulated in the last 12 months, higher than the 4.9% recorded in the country in the same period.

The positive result is one of the reflections of the policies of the State Secretariat for Culture and Tourism (Secult), which launched the Mais Turistas program last year.

The initiatives adopted strengthened the segment that generated around R$34 billion in the state in 2023, the year in which 31 million tourists visited Minas Gerais destinations.

The announcement of new tourist routes also contributes to the creation of jobs, many of them in the interior.

Minas Gerais created approximately 50 thousand jobs in the creativity economy, which corresponds to 26% of all 187,866 jobs created until November last year, according to data from the New General Register of Employed and Unemployed People (Caged). The number placed the segment as the main job generator in the State.