TOURISM, IN NAUTICALS, IS THE CARROT OF DEVELOPMENT

Under the coordination of the Paulista Nautical Forum, the State of São Paulo is preparing the first State Nautical Development Plan in Brazil.

Since the FNP was created in 2014, only after it began to interact, under the management of Vinicus Lummertz, and then integrate the Secretariat of Tourism and Travel of the State of SP, with the support of Secretary Roberto de Lucena, nautical activities in the State gained repercussion and rhythm.

For example, nautical structures (piers, floating docks, and ramps) are about to be delivered in 13 cities in the interior of São Paulo state, a long-standing demand of the sector. Environmental legislation for marina installation is also being studied. The Nautical Industry Chamber has worked with shipyards and suppliers to launch the "My First Boat" product this year, also available in a sailboat version, which promises to cost the same as a popular car and have financing available through Desenvolve SP. In the area of training, the partnership with FATEC-JAHU has already enabled the implementation of three new courses and promises three more for 2024, including a postgraduate program in project management. A navigation guide for the Tietê-Paraná waterway was also recently released and made available for download on the website www.forumnautico.com.br.

Other actions, such as the reduction of ICMS for the sector, voted on in ALESP at the end of last year and sanctioned by Governor Tarcísio at the beginning of this year, with the aim of accompanying Santa Catarina and Rio de Janeiro, creating jobs here, were coordinated by the FNP.

Despite so many achievements, there are still bottlenecks to achieving the nautical tourism we all desire for São Paulo. While in tourism in general, infrastructure and a business environment are essential for the development of any segment, nautical tourism goes a step further. This is because our waters, unlike land, have had little commercial use to date, and therefore, current legislation and public policies regarding them are geared towards cargo ships, ports, and, at most, large waterways, such as cruise ships.

Chartering, scuba diving, rowing and sailing sports, and speedboat trips were never understood by the governing bodies as essential to the country's economic development and, therefore, there was never any focus on specifically promoting them.

A special highlight on this list is sailing. An essential activity for the development of the world as we know it and the sport that has won Brazil the most Olympic medals, it had a single development program 20 years ago, when Lars Grael was State Secretary of Sports.

The good part of us driving this nautical development of the state through tourism is that we will have to poke and heal all the wounds to be able to carry out the activity and measure results later. In other words, tourism is the carrot we envision to change a culture of nautical underdevelopment and underutilization of São Paulo's waters.