The guest in Ipanema is from Dubai

By Hazel Heyer l Special to eTN

Brazil taps Arab tourists.

A number of factors have worked in favor of boosting the country's tourism, among them the creation of a specific Ministry of Tourism and the development of a national tourism plan laying down the guidelines and goals for the industry, according to the UNWTO.

Lines of new hotels are currently being built on the Ipanema Beach. Latin America’s largest convention centre called Rio Centro rises in the horizon as a big investment for the games, while hosting different types of events. Sedagio Nova, a new mid-sized convention centre being built in the downtown area is to be operated by a local operator in partnership with the municipality and a Rio construction company. “Return on investment is viewed in the long- and short-terms. Short-term in terms of visibility, marketing and promotion for the destination; long-term as a great legacy to be passed on in cultural terms to the young people who see excellent examples from sports, life and future careers,” said Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau executive director Paulo Senise, who is also a member of the Brazilian Association for the Hotel Industry. These activities greatly impact and influence the youth – an achievement in tourism’s own words.

In general, Brazil is getting a lot of gains in terms of hotel chain arrivals. International chains have set up shop, encouraging the development of new facilities for staging more events, while national tour operators who traditionally catered for the outbound market, have increasingly turned their sights to handle incoming groups.

A number of properties have completed renovation such as the 388-room Sofitel (after a US $25 million-expansion and restructuring in October 2006 with 164 rooms delivered so far), the old Meridien recently re-branded as the Iberostar (which also runs a boat on the Amazon River) and the 225-room Copacabana Palace (which underwent a Rials 12-million-facelift in 2005). Buzios, on the Armacao Beach, is also getting a lot of attention from international chains who are building resorts, hotels, the Club Med and Starwood properties throughout. Buzios owes fame to the most charming propagandist of the city’s beauty – Brigitte Bardot - whose name has inspired streets, bars and restaurants bearing her moniker.

Great opportunities abound for entertainment. The newly-invigorated Largo da Lapa (once the centre of Rio’s turn-of-the-century nightlife) was previously decadent for a while but now buzzes with a number of bars, restaurants, museums, cultural spots and artists’ studios. It’s very successful internationally and has helped promote the city. Samba is played virtually everywhere reminding folks that Rio is the birthplace of this Afro-Brazilian beat associated with Carnival. Hundreds of dance competitions and marathons run in several venues around town while preserving the spirit of Street Carnival.

In Lapa, parties last until 4am. The tourism authority challenges any hot spot that can rival dinner at restaurants in Lapa until 5 in the morning; closes only at 8 for breakfast, then reopens for lunch and stays open until the wee hours of the following day. Rio Scenarium’s three-storey antique warehouse converted into an elite club and bar (with space for 500 people) can perhaps rival Lapa in ambience and style, but never in scale.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Brazil has a massive potential to compete in the international tourism race. A poorer country with massive tourism potential, such as Brazil, has significant domestic traffic, exceptional product potential based on nature, culture and heritage, presence in the mainstream of evolving market needs, major eco-tourism focus, favorable trade balance and abundant labor with low cost base. The preparation of a tourism database and indicators to support public and private decision-making as well as, the introduction of new funding facilities have played a major role in defining feeder and priority markets and niche segments.

Emirates' foray into Brazil will only reinforce Rio's standing as one of the most visited cities in the world; the city becoming almost synonymous with Brazil for many foreign tourists - for its beaches, mountains and lush greens, thriving music scene that reaches its peak with the annual Carnival and a diverse mix of people that made the original population of native Indians grow more exotic with the arrival of waves of Europeans (Portuguese) and Africans (sub-Saharan west coast) through the centuries.

part two of two

Printable Version | published Jun 08, 2007

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