Brasília, November 21, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Minister of Sports and Tourism, Caio de Carvalho, installed yesterday the National Tourism Council which will propose strategies for the development of the sector domestically and abroad.

Tourism has an annual turnover of some US$40 billion, US$4.5 billion in transportation. This year domestic tourism in Brazil should reach a total of 45 million people (because travelling abroad has become expensive). At the moment, 70% of travel packages are domestic, only 30% for travel abroad. "Tourism is an easy pathway to jobs and income, especially in regions where they do not even know what that is," said the minister. (AB)