Tourism in São Paulo
O Estado de S. Paulo - 02/07/2008
The high increase of the Municipal Service Tax (ISS) revenue from lodging, tour packages and events (the so-called Group 13) proves that the city of São Paulo is becoming an increasingly sought tourist center. In 2007, the ISS revenues in this group showed an increase of 10.4% in relation to the previous year, according to a survey carried out by the Prodam (Information and Communication Technology Company of the City of São Paulo). Taking into account the last seven years, the increase exceeds 97%. The average occupancy rate of the more than 45 thousand rooms of São Paulo lodging segment hit a record last year - 67%. In 2005, the average occupancy rate was 58.7%, an indicator that reached 65% in 2006. The significant improvement of the tourist activity in the capital is, to a great extent, the result of the work developed by the SPTuris (São Paulo Turismo), the company responsible for the tourist and events promotion of the capital, with the purpose of showing that leisure is not obligatorily related to the beach. The increase of the ISS revenue is only one of the positive results of the advance of tourism in the life of the City. It is estimated that the tourist activity may also reverberate on the sales and on the improvement of the collection in at least 52 other sectors of the economy of São Paulo - besides those from Group 13 -, such as transportation, restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. Data from the SPTuris shows that the revenues of the city with the tourist activity exceeded R$ 7 billion (US$ 4 billion) in 2007. São Paulo is becoming a center of tourist attraction due to specific programs for different publics. Large fairs and exhibits of the industrial, commercial, service and technology sectors, and events such as the GLBT Parade and the São Paulo Fashion Week, music shows with high quality international artists, and the inclusion of the city in the route of famous bands and rock stars have attracted millions of people to the capital. There is also the famous and varied gastronomy of the city and dozens of shopping malls rivaling the best ones in the world.