Brazil Carnival 2005
Brasília - The Ministry of Tourism is preparing an action plan to reinforce the efforts opposed to tourism involving child sex abuse during Carnival. The idea is to engage various social segments in the cities that most receive visitors during this period: Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Salvador, Fortaleza, and Florianópolis.
The measures are part of the National Plan to Deal with the Sexual and Commercial Exploitation of Adolescents and Children through Tourism. The Plan will be launched during the World Social Forum, this month in Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil.
The coordinator of activities in the Ministry of Tourism, Sidney Alves Costa, informed that the Brazilian government will work in conjunction with professionals who operate in the tourism sector, such as employees of airline companies, hotels, bars, restaurants, street vendors, and taxi drivers. "We are working with organized segments of society, searching for ways to raise awareness in each sector, in each professional, regarding the importance of their cooperation and providing information as to the best ways for each of them to prevent this kind of exploitation. This has nothing to do with tourism, because it represents a criminal activity and should be dealt with as such." the coordinator informed.
Costa underlined the importance of airline companies such as Gol, TAM, and Varig in the campaign. During their flights they are referring to the campaign, to alert passengers and demonstrate that Brazil is mobilized to combat sexual tourism," he explained.
According to Costa, foreign tourists, when they arrive in Brazil, recognize that the country is not part of the sexual tourism route and that the government and society are joined in an effort to combat this type of practice. "Foreign tourists are beginning to understand that Brazil is a country that opposes this type of practice and that the government is acting with rigor to combat this crime," he added.
Costa also said that pamphlets will be distributed, as well as condoms and bags with phrases combatting sexual exploitation.
Rosamélia de Abreu
Reporter - Agência Brasil
Translation: David Silberstein
Workers will be trained to take better care of tourists in Rio
Rio - Professional workers in the area of tourism in Rio de Janeiro will be trained to take better care of visitors, starting this month. The training program is part of an US$ 803.000 (R$ 2 million, 170 thousand) agreement which will be signed this week between the Ministry of Tourism and the Rio de Janeiro municipal secretariat of tourism.
The secretary of Tourism Development Programs of the Ministry, Maria Luisa Campos, says that the effort will be of help to taxi-drivers, store owners, and proprietors of agencies and hotels. According to Campos, one of the biggest complaints during the last Carnival Season had to do with bad taxi service.
Campos said that the training program will also be helpful for the 2007 Pan-American Games. The Ministry wants to do a good job to make the event mesh with the city's tourist attractions. "Rio de Janeiro is already a big drawing point. It continues to be the Brazilian city most visited by foreign tourists. Moreover, in every survey foreign tourists say they want to come back," she affirms.
Cristina Ìndio do Brasil
Reporter - Agência Brasil
Translation: David Silberstein
