The city of Foz do Iguaçu (PR), one of Brazil’s natural jewels, is one of the ten travel destinations in the world for a more sustainable stay. The city is the only representative from South America in the Booking.com platform survey, which considered the number of hotel establishments with the “eco friendly” seal, from the Sustainable Travel program granted by the website.
The other nine travel destinations for a more sustainable stay are: Merano, in Italy; Tainan, in Taiwan; Santa Marta, Colombia; Stellenbosch, South Africa; Charlotte, in the United States; Hanmer Springs, New Zealand; Munich, Germany; Nusa Penida, Indonesia and Salzburg, Austria.
Known for the Iguaçu Falls, Foz do Iguaçu is located in the triple border tourist region, covering Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. The city’s main attraction are the Falls, located in the heart of the Iguaçu National Park and which boast the title of Natural Heritage of Humanity, granted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
With an annual average of more than one million tourists, the city has a historical legacy of environmental conservation and sustainable practices. With its rich biodiversity and beautiful landscapes, Foz do Iguaçu stands out for balancing tourism with environmental conservation. Other tourist attractions in the area are Itaipu Binacional, Parque das Aves and Marco das Três Fronteiras.
Sustainable Tourist – Booking.com also researched the profile of current tourists. According to the survey, 95% of Brazilian travelers declare that it is important for them to travel in a more sustainable way. In a third study, the platform also showed that 84% of travelers in Brazil want travel agencies to offer more sustainable options. In 2022 this percentage was 76%.
Priority Agenda – The sustainable development of tourism is one of Brazil’s priorities, which is concerned with protecting natural resources for future generations, and with promoting a more ethical tourism industry committed to the balance between economic development and environmental conservation environment.
Seeking to increasingly promote this profile in the national sector, the Ministry of Tourism (MTur) adopts several initiatives in the area. One of them is the Department’s unprecedented participation in the interministerial construction of the Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAm), led by the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic and coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA).
Another action in this sense was the creation, since the beginning of 2023, of the National Secretariat for Planning, Sustainability and Competitiveness in Tourism within the Ministry, aimed at organizing actions to strengthen sustainable tourism in the country.
The Ministry of Tourism also makes available the Brazilian Map of Responsible Tourism, which highlights itineraries, experiences and tourist destinations across the country with good sustainability practices and encourages the dissemination of actions. The system serves as a reference for new solutions and public and private investments in the area, in addition to representing an important source of consultation for tourists and civil society in general.