With just 48 hours until the 30th UN Climate Conference (COP30) opens in Belém, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism has released its definitive operations plan to handle the expected surge of around 50,000 foreign delegates, journalists and NGO representatives. The plan, published on 8 November, confirms that the city will operate as Brazil’s temporary capital from 11–22 November and sets out measures designed to keep people and freight moving smoothly.
First, additional air-transport capacity has been secured. According to the ministry, airlines have scheduled 31 international rotations for the fortnight of the summit—up from only 22 last year—while domestic carriers have added 221 extra frequencies, taking the seat offer to nearly 246,000. The government has granted ad-hoc slot waivers at Belém/Val-de-Cans airport and issued a temporary open-skies resolution so that foreign carriers can charter direct services without lengthy bilateral approvals. For mobility inside the host city, a fleet of 120 electric shuttle buses will run on dedicated lanes linking the airport, conference ‘Blue Zone’ and main hotel clusters.
Second, the plan outlines a “smart-visitor” programme aimed at business travellers. A new COP30 mobile app, available in six languages, bundles the Brazilian immigration e-Visa, real-time public-transport information, and QR-code access to 30 so-called ‘Info Zones’—kiosks staffed by multilingual volunteers. Business delegates heading on to São Paulo or Brasília can also use the app to pre-book fast-track security or video-conference spaces in airports, reducing transit friction.
![Brazil steps up tourism logistics ahead of COP30: Ministry of Tourism details final plan for 50,000 international visitors]()
Third, hotel capacity has been increased by 17 percent through pop-up ‘hotel-ships’ moored along the Guamá River. A Ministry-backed guarantee fund underwrites payments to local accommodation providers, giving corporate travel managers greater price certainty. The same fund subsidises high-speed Wi-Fi in accredited lodgings so that hybrid meetings can switch seamlessly between in-person and virtual formats.
Finally, contingency planning focuses on health and security. Seven temporary medical posts will be managed by the federal health-emergency service, while the Federal Police will operate mobile passport-control units capable of processing 160 passengers per hour at peak times. The ministry stresses that lessons learned from the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics have been incorporated, especially regarding crowd-flow modelling and multilingual crisis-communication protocols.
For global-mobility managers, the announcement provides clarity on last-minute flight options, e-Visa processing and ground-transport arrangements. Companies sending staff to COP30 should update travel policies to include the dedicated shuttle network and app-based passport controls, and brief travellers on the location of Info Zones for any consular or medical assistance.
First, additional air-transport capacity has been secured. According to the ministry, airlines have scheduled 31 international rotations for the fortnight of the summit—up from only 22 last year—while domestic carriers have added 221 extra frequencies, taking the seat offer to nearly 246,000. The government has granted ad-hoc slot waivers at Belém/Val-de-Cans airport and issued a temporary open-skies resolution so that foreign carriers can charter direct services without lengthy bilateral approvals. For mobility inside the host city, a fleet of 120 electric shuttle buses will run on dedicated lanes linking the airport, conference ‘Blue Zone’ and main hotel clusters.
Second, the plan outlines a “smart-visitor” programme aimed at business travellers. A new COP30 mobile app, available in six languages, bundles the Brazilian immigration e-Visa, real-time public-transport information, and QR-code access to 30 so-called ‘Info Zones’—kiosks staffed by multilingual volunteers. Business delegates heading on to São Paulo or Brasília can also use the app to pre-book fast-track security or video-conference spaces in airports, reducing transit friction.
Third, hotel capacity has been increased by 17 percent through pop-up ‘hotel-ships’ moored along the Guamá River. A Ministry-backed guarantee fund underwrites payments to local accommodation providers, giving corporate travel managers greater price certainty. The same fund subsidises high-speed Wi-Fi in accredited lodgings so that hybrid meetings can switch seamlessly between in-person and virtual formats.
Finally, contingency planning focuses on health and security. Seven temporary medical posts will be managed by the federal health-emergency service, while the Federal Police will operate mobile passport-control units capable of processing 160 passengers per hour at peak times. The ministry stresses that lessons learned from the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics have been incorporated, especially regarding crowd-flow modelling and multilingual crisis-communication protocols.
For global-mobility managers, the announcement provides clarity on last-minute flight options, e-Visa processing and ground-transport arrangements. Companies sending staff to COP30 should update travel policies to include the dedicated shuttle network and app-based passport controls, and brief travellers on the location of Info Zones for any consular or medical assistance.
