From May 14 to 18, Brazil will host one of the most important tourism events worldwide: the 9th World Tourism Forum of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), to be held at Costao do Santinho, in Florianopolis.

The event should approach topics such as tourism trends to the forthcoming years and partnerships capable of ensuring the sector's success as an economic activity. Brazil is the first Latin American country to host the WTTC, and expects the participation of 800 individuals among executives and tourism operators, journalists and specialized professionals from different countries.

The meeting should gather about one thousand individuals in Florianopolis. Additionally to authorities, heads of large airlines, tourism traders, hotels, car rental companies, events promoters, thematic parkers, credit card insurers and managers, about 200 journalists from the main vehicles worldwide should visit Brazil. "We are few, but we are important for the volume of businesses we create", said the Council Chairperson, Jean-Claude Baumgarten.

The selection of Brazil to host the 2009 event was ratified in November, during the World Travel Market (WTM) in London. The forum organization will cost around R$ 12 million, to be financed by the Government of Santa Catarina, Embratur and other sponsors.

According to a diagnosis by the WTTC, Brazil is the 14th tourism economy in the world, with tendency of fast and consistent growth in the short and medium terms, at the rate of 5.3% until 2017.

The topic of the 9th Global Conference on Travels and Tourism, to be held in the capital of the State of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, was considered an exemplary public-private partnership, since it gathers local, state and national governments from Brazil and abroad, jointly with leaders of the private sector from all continents.

Jeanine Pires, President of Embratur, said that the partnership between the Brazilian Tourism Board and the WTTC aims at "carrying out a high standard global event to gather the industry leaders to discuss ways of overcoming the descending economic curve, and to reach an outstanding position in the recovery of the world economies."