Travel Agent sat down Tuesday with representatives of Embratur, the Brazil Tourism Board, and learned of the destination’s new marketing initiatives in New York as well the Board’s goals for hosting both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
“We want people to see that Brazil is more than just fun and sun and beaches,” says Tatiana Freire, spokesperson and advertising manager for Embratur. “We hope that when they come to the host cities (for the World Cup), they visit the surrounding towns as well. All of the surrounding towns are full of culture and we think that is a major part of Brazil that needs more attention.”
The country’s plans for both events, however, may have been a bit too optimistic with many saying that Brazil’s infrastructure may not be fully ready in time. In fact, a high-speed train linking São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s most important cities, also was talked about when Brazil was picked to host the World Cup. The bullet train will probably be built, but because of failed bidding processes, it is not certain the project will be completed in time for the 2016 Olympics.
However, Freire says the plan to open roughly 300 new hotel developments in time for the Olympics, is on schedule and that’s good news for the Brazil economy since the World Cup and Olympics are expected to create 360,000 jobs within the hospitality industry. And the World Cup alone is predicted to generate $815 billion, says Freire.
“The whole word will be watching Brazil, so this will be our chance to show people we are so much more than they know,” she says. “We really work close to agents and other industry representatives to show that Brazil has a lot of culture and has a growing eco-tourism market as well. Hopefully, hosting these events will let people know we have more then beaches.”
So, why were Brazil tourism representatives in town?
Embratur recently launched a marketing campaign that invites New Yorkers to escape the winter weather and experience an authentic Brazilian beach oasis in the heart of Madison Square Park.
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| Embratur, the Brazil Tourism Board, promotes travel to Brazil at Madison Square Park in New York with the use of a “Sunball.” |
Brazil bas been forgoing the traditional snow globe and has been setting up a life size “Sunball” in the middle of Manhattan to provide some warmth and holiday cheer from today through Thursday.
Visitors of the Sunball will be able to warm up their feet in the imported Brazilian sand, feel the Brazilian sun and pose for a unique Brazil Sunball holiday card. After completing their visit to the Sunball, visitors will be able to upload their holiday card to their Facebook page, email it to family and friends or receive a print copy of the card.
The Sunball is designed to look exactly like a snow globe, but provides a warm-weather twist. Embratur has imported sand in order to recreate the experience of the tropical beaches Brazil is so well-known for with U.S. tourists.
The event is part of Embratur’s current marketing campaign, “Brazil is Calling You. Celebrate Life Here,” designed to familiarize the world of Brazil’s endless offerings and to help increase international tourism leading up to the World Cup and Olympic Games.
Just this week, the country achieved its goal of welcoming more than 5.4 million international tourists in 2011, the highest number of foreign tourists ever recorded in Brazil.
For Embratur, this achievement sets the stage for reaching their goal of 10 million international tourists by 2020. Of the 5.4 million visitors, Freire says roughly 600,000 were Americans. In fact, America is Brazil’s second largest tourism market with Argentina leading the pack.
Visit www.braziltour.com