Recife, August 1, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Beginning in October, the Ministry of Tourism will make R$ 4.5 million available for promotional campaigns aimed at attracting tourists from the Southeast and Center-West to the states of the Northeast. The campaign was announced yesterday (31) by Minister Walfrido dos Mares Guia, at the inauguration of the State Tourism Forum, in the Pernambuco Convention Center.

The Minister explained that in order to fulfill the goal of creating 1.2 million new jobs in this sector over the next four years, the country must invest R$ 18 billion and increase the number of foreign tourists in the country by nine million, which would represent an influx of US$ 8 billion. "The goals will only be achieved with cooperation and involvement by the entire community," he pointed out. (DAS)