Centenary churches, old houses, museums, cobbled streets and the famous Minas Gerais food are some of the attractions that delight tourists visiting Minas Gerais. Even impacted by tourism restrictions in the pandemic, the state’s historic cities now see this scenario change.
According to the Minas Gerais Department of Culture and Tourism, historic cities are among the top destinations in the resumption of tourism in Minas Gerais. In addition to them, the spas in the south of the state and the cities bathed by Lake Furnas are also very popular.
According to the professor at the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Ouro Preto Allan Calsavara, the resumption of tourism at this time can be considered safe, as long as the epidemiological situation in the city and region is favorable.
“The resumption must be based on epidemiological data, strict rules for the service provider and inspection of the tourist’s suitability to wear a mask”, says he, who holds a doctorate in infectious diseases.
In Ouro Preto, the flow of tourists has increased a lot in the last three months. On weekends, the movement is already comparable to the period before the pandemic, according to tourism director Fabiana Nonato.
According to her, most of the current visitors come from closer cities, within a radius of 150 kilometers away. However, tourists from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are also frequent.
Advertiser Marina Fortes traveled from Botucatu (SP) to Ouro Preto in early November. She and two friends stayed in town for three days and were able to visit historic churches, a gold mine and some of the town’s restaurants.
“Ouro Preto is very incredible, I think that, when you step into the city, you already feel like you are in a movie set, because everything is very different from what we are used to. It’s very important to have this experience and not let the story fade away “he says.
The event producer Beatriz Sibov, a friend of Marina, says that none of the places visited required proof of vaccination. However, she realized that the establishments were being careful with the sanitary protocols and charging the use of a mask.
Another city that attracts travelers is Congonhas, located 80 km from Belo Horizonte. There, the Bom Jesus de Matozinhos Sanctuary was built, where the 12 prophets carved in soapstone by Aleijadinho are located.
The Congonhas Museum, which aims to interpret and preserve this heritage, is slowly resuming its activities. For now, visits with a limit of 30 people in the space are allowed.
According to the coordinator of the educational sector, Nathália Rezende, in previous years the space received around 20 thousand people in September, due to the celebration of the Jubilee of Bom Jesus de Matozinhos in the city. In 2021, the second year without the party, this number was 3,000.
October and November have an average audience close to that of the years prior to the pandemic. The expectation is that routine activities, such as visits by larger groups, workshops and playful mediations, will resume in early 2022.
The Maria Fumaça tour between São João Del Rei and Tiradentes was also sought after by tourists. Military policeman Carlos Gomes traveled from Sete Lagoas (MG) with his wife to visit the two cities. According to him, the tour was one of the highlights of the trip.
“The journey takes 55 minutes. The landscape is covered by the Atlantic Forest, there are few houses along the way, we see some farms and a river that passes along the way. It’s very beautiful,” he says.
Upon arriving in Tiradentes, one of the great highlights is the local cuisine. The town has more than 120 restaurants, some of them among the best in the country.
According to Ricardo Martins, chef and owner of the Uai Thai restaurant, the start of the pandemic was very difficult. However, he did not have to fire any employee and, even reducing the restaurant’s capacity by 30%, revenue returned to what it was before the pandemic.
“I don’t know if people were lacking in traveling and going to restaurants, but since the reopening, there has been an explosion in sales that has not stopped until today,” he says. Martins’ restaurant is already sold out for New Year’s Eve and some weekends until January.
Chef Beth Beltrão, from Viradas do Largo restaurant, also saw the establishment’s movement grow after a year with its doors closed. According to her, the best feeling is to see a full house and make people happy with their food.
“A beautiful historic city like Tiradentes already attracted many people. Now, they are returning because of the nostalgia they felt. It is very pleasant to receive these people in the restaurant”, he celebrates.
According to the municipal secretary of tourism, Christian Silveira, since October the city has had an occupation between 80% and 90% on weekends. During the week, these numbers are around 35%.
The season of Vesperata de Diamantina, a series of nightly concerts on the balconies of historic buildings on Rua da Quitanda, has not been held for two years. According to Márcia Horta, municipal tourism secretary, without the event, the city stopped receiving many tourists from other states.
According to the secretary, the expectation is that next year the event will be held, returning to attract large groups of tourists from all over the country.
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