Tourism had an outstanding participation in the ARNOLD SOUTH AMERICA 2023 Fair, which in this edition presented expressive numbers, with more than 87,000 visitors, 140 exhibitors, 34 sports modalities and 5,000 congressmen.
The 1st Tourism Forum “Tourism in Synergy with Sport and Wellness”, organized by IDT-CEMA, took place on April 14, at Expo Center Norte, at the Wellness Business Summit, with a massive presence of professionals and leaders from the hotel industry, theme parks , gastronomy, travel agencies, gyms, spas, health, architecture, sports and the public sector.
Luiz Felipe Bonilha, CEO of Arnold South America, whose grandparents were hoteliers and who has already chaired ABAV-RJ, opened the Forum, citing the grateful satisfaction of starting a new cycle of the consolidated event in sport and wellness with tourism, thanking the organizers, supporting entities, speakers and guests. He received the President of IDT-CEMA, Bruno Omori, who gave the opening lecture with a presentation of projections of world tourism that in 2023 should reach 1.2 billion international tourists and USD 1.5 trillion in exports.
Omori highlighted the synergistic potential of integrating tourism with sport and wellness, highlighting events such as the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games and the Arnold Classic fair itself as successful cases of foreign exchange generation and impact in more than 52 segments in one destination. He completed his presentation with the imminent approval of the Games and Casinos, which will provide the Brazilian economy with the entry of USD 70 billion in investments in Brazil, knowing that the sectors will have participation in both concessions and taxes, with tourism with 12% and sports with 10% to be able to invest in promotion, training and events, strengthening tourist destinations and increasing sports potential in Brazil.
Omori, responsible for mediating the 2 panels of the forum, started the formation of the 1st panel “Structure of Fitness & Wellness in Tourism” with the participation of Heber Garrido (CMO of Holding Ferraza), the executive with great representation in the hotel and tourism industry, presented the case of Olímpia-SP with Hot Beach Resorts and Parks with cases of how sport strengthens the destination by enhancing the flow of tourists, gastronomy, the well-being of tourists, added to foreign exchange and jobs generated.
Patricia Tótaro, architect, addressed worldwide guest demand for the creation of professional fitness centers and spas within hotels to increase experience and demand; and Edson Pinto, (Executive Director of FHORES and President of SINHORES Osasco and Region), conceptualized, created intersections and reflections on leisure, health and sports tourism, addressing the constant need for associative strengthening of the sector.
The second panel “Fitness & Wellness Experiences in the Tourism Trade” took place, where Bruno Omori began the mediation, highlighting the growing demand to generate differentiated and integrated experiences for business, leisure, and event tourists; inviting the first panelist Rodrigo Tavano (Vice-President of ABIHSP, Hotelier and Director of AHP), as former secretary of tourism of Caraguatatuba and one of the founders of Circuito do Litoral Norte de SP, brought several cases of success in sporting events that are leveraging a large tourist flow to the region, mentioning the Ilhabela sailing festival, among other events held in the 5 cities.
Cris Parente (CEO of Koatch Gym) presented the case of success of the gym and fitness center at the Hilton hotel in São Paulo, demonstrating the increase in profitability, as a point of sale, in addition to bringing a differentiated experience to business guests; Alessandra Luglio (SVG’s Nutrition Coordinator), brought up the growing demand for the implementation of the ESG culture in hotels and tourism, presented the case of the ACCOR chain with vegan menus and highlighted mainly that the issue of animal protein has a great impact on sustainability.
Leticia Vieira (Commercial Director of Mendoá Chocolates) highlighted chocolate with a high concentration of cocoa as a great antioxidant agent and energy generator for athletes, helping to improve people’s health, in tourism, she highlighted the success stories in consolidated hotel products such as the resort Royal Palm Plaza, Fasano hotel, presented what had been done at the Tivoli Resort in Praia do Forte during Easter.
Alain Baldacci (CEO of WETN WILD) the current honorary president of SINDEPAT and the only Brazilian who has ever chaired the World Parks Association, who brought the Disney case of excellence, highlighting the philosophy of bringing families together, providing well-being, entertainment and experiences, creating products in cinema, entertainment, sports, technology and innovation, as well as Wetn Wild celebrating 25 years with the organization of various sports and wellness events, and which will soon be in addition to the park, convention center, restaurants and stores, will have a 320-uh resort.
The objective of this event was to create synergy between “Tourism as a factor of economic development, being leveraged by sport and wellness”, highlighted Omori, who concluded the first edition of the Arnold South America Tourism Forum, thanking the organization SAVAGET EXCALIBUR, speakers, congressmen, sponsors and institutional supporters ABIME, ASEMESP, FECOMERCIO, FHORESP, IDT-CEMA and FECOMERCIO.
