Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile announce partnership to resume tourism activities

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, Brazil’s Minister of Tourism Gilson Machado Neto announced in Recife that Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile will implement a joint action plan to reopen tourism activities.

To enable this resumption, these countries’ governments have signed an agreement. The initiative was announced after the 25th MERCOSUR Tourism Ministers Meeting, at the Mar Hotel, in Boa Viagem, Recife, the capital of Pernambuco.

According to Gilson Machado Neto, the measure will allow tourists to cross the countries’ borders while complying with health protocols to be drawn up by the Ministries of Health.

According to the official, ideally there should be no restrictions on transit through the countries involved. “It would be the same as traveling from [neighboring states] Pernambuco to Paraíba,” he said. Nevertheless, Machado Neto recognized that measures should be defined by the “Health officials.” “Therefore, we urge them to meet and establish protocols so that we may start working and implementing tourism flow,” he said.

According to the Brazilian Minister, with the new measures, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina may jointly become the “world’s main tourist destination.” “In the same season when there is snow in Argentina, in Ceará there are warm temperatures,” Gilson Machado said.

In the document, the 5 countries requested that their Health Ministers meet urgently to define the health protocols to be adopted for tourism between them. “This meeting is extremely important for the full return of the tourist flow to our country. When considering Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, we realize that the largest volume of international tourists to Brazil come from these countries, our neighbors,” the document states.

In the document signed by the countries’ officials, a request for an audience with Pope Francis was also formalized to ask for the Vatican’s approval of the “Jesuit Route”. “We will leave this meeting with a formal document. A request for the Vatican’s approval of the Missions Route (Jesuit Route), which involves these countries, so that it may have the same impact as the Camino de Santiago [St James’ Way] in Spain,” the Minister said.

In a press conference after the meeting, Machado Neto recalled that cruise ships will start operating in Brazil again on November 5.

“We will have only 5 ships. Is it enough for a country with such potential? There should be 500 ships here, not 5,” the Minister criticized.