Brazil expects tourism boost from Olympics 2016

Brazil expects to receive more than half a million foreign tourists with the staging of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, according to a report of the Brazilian Tourism Institute (EMBRATUR).

The country received 6.4 million foreign tourists in 2014, the year of the Football World Cup, representing an increase of 10.6% over 2013. This increase amounted to a total of 600,000 more tourists, creating a new record for international visitor arrivals.

Between June and July, when the football competition was held, the country recorded 1.08 million tourist arrivals, a figure that is three times the 350,000 foreign visitors the country received during the same months in 2013.

In those two months, tourists spent a total of 1.586 billion dollars (1.437 million euros) in the country, according to the Brazilian Central Bank.

Standing out among the areas receiving the most foreign tourists in 2014 are Rio de Janeiro, with the arrivals of 1.6 million foreigners, up 32%; Amazonas, with 50,000 non-resident visitors, representing an increase of 52% over the previous year; and the Federal District, with 100,000 foreigners, an increase of 35%.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Argentina remains the main source country, with 1.74 million visitors in 2014, followed by the United States (656,000).

The Brazilian tourism authorities now focus on the Summer Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, next year. One of the main projects of the government is to suspend the visa obligation between Brazil and the U.S. to increase the number of visitors in 2016.

Brazil welcomed staggering number of tourists last year

According to a recent report by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, in 2014, more than 6.42 million international tourists visited the country, which marks a historic record and a growth of 10.6% in comparison to 2013.

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro were the main cities of entry, with 2.2 million and 1.5 million visitors, respectively. Additionally, Argentina remains the main source, with 1.74 million visitors, followed by the United States (656,000).

The 2014 FIFA World Cup played a major role in this important result to the Brazilian tourism industry. In June, when the biggest soccer event in the world was held, Brazil received almost three times the usual number of tourists on that month; from 350 thousand, in 2013, to more than 1 million in 2014.

Vinícius Lummertz, president of the Brazilian Tourism Board (EMBRATUR) also celebrates this important result. “Hosting major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup last year and the Summer Olympics in 2016, represents an extraordinary improvement in the Brazilian tourism industry, without mentioning how we showcase Brazil to the world, which is immeasurable. These numbers are a record to our country and we know that the World Cup was the most responsible for this achievement,” said Vinícius Lummertz, president of Embratur (Brazilian Tourism Institute).

The tourism authorities in the country now aim for the Summer Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, next year. One of the main initiatives of the government is to suspend the mandatory visa between Brazil and the United States, in order to increase the number of visitors in 2016.

Organising Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games reveals Olympic torch

The Rio 2016 Olympic torch has been unveiled by the Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff at a special ceremony, which took place in the capital of Brasilia on 3 July 2015.

The torch is crafted from recycled aluminium and resin with a stain finish and has different segments which expand when the Olympic flame is passed from one torch bearer to another. These segments represent the soil, sea, mountains, sky and sun and are coloured according to the Brazilian flag – green, yellow, blue and white.

Organisers said lightweight materials were used to improve the experience of the torchbearers, as well as a design that induces a grip closer to the torch’s centre of gravity.

Beth Lula, the organising committee brand director, said: “The design of the Rio 2016 torch was inspired by the Olympic spirit, our country’s nature, and the harmonious diversity and energy of our people.”

Following the traditional Olympic flame lighting ceremony in Olympia, Greece, the Olympic flame arrives in Brasilia in May 2016 and will be carried by 12,000 torch bearers across 300 cities and towns reaching an estimated 90% of Brazil’s population.

Flights to South America On the Rise

The number of passengers between the U.S. and Brazil has nearly doubled in the last five years.

Air travel to South America is booming with American, Azul, JetBlue, and LATAM launching new routes and nonstop services from U.S. gateways to points in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

In fact, the number of passengers between the U.S. and Brazil has nearly doubled in the last five years, according to the Department of Transportation, with 5.45 million total passengers in 2014, up from 2.89 million in 2009. Colombia’s business is up 50 percent, to 3 million last year, and Chile and Peru both showed strong growth. Venezuela is the only country showing a decline—not surprising given the country’s souring relations with the U.S.

The latest player in the field is Azul, the low-fare Brazilian line started by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, who just announced his airline will be adding nonstop flights between Orlando and Belo Horizonte in November. Azul, which is mainly a domestic carrier, already has nonstop flights to São Paulo from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, and it plans to start flying to New York City nonstop from São Paulo early next year. All of its long-haul flights are on Airbus A330 jets with business, economy plus, and economy class services.

The five-year-old Azul has grown to be the third-largest carrier in Brazil after GOL and TAM. To encourage more U.S. travelers to try the upstart line, Neeleman told Condé Nast Travelerhe plans to launch a “See Brazil” air pass, giving visitors a chance to fly around the country on Azul flights for one fixed price. While he’s hoping to debut the deal soon—well in advance of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio—he couldn’t give an exact price for the pass, but estimated that it would probably be around $300 for unlimited travel over a ten-day or two-week period.

High percentage of Rio 2016 ticket applicants successful in first draw

A total of 65 per cent of those who applied for Rio 2016 tickets in the first draw have been successful.

The results of the draw have been released today, with nearly 1.6 million of the 4.5 million tickets available having been allocated.

All seats at 121 of the 694 sessions available are sold-out, including all tickets for the triathlon, the marathon swimming and synchronised swimming events.

Brazilians who applied for tickets will receive an e-mail today along with foreign residents in the host country.

From July 1, fans who applied in the first draw can try again for tickets in the second draw, the results of which will be announced in August.

Those who were not successful in the first phase will have priority in the second.

All tickets for the triathlon, which will be hosted by Copacabana beach, are sold out ©Getty Images

Following the second draw in August, direct online sales will open in October before box office sales launch in May next year.

Sold-out sessions may become available again in the event of withdrawal, non-payment, contingency release or return of international tickets.

Back in April, ticket provider Kingdom Sports Group said it was “thrilled” with the response one month after the opening of its sales window for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, with applications having surpassed those for London 2012 over the same period.

The Sydney-based company are representing a record 40 countries across Asia, Africa and Oceania, with residents and corporate clients from these territories having taken advantage both of ticket and travel packages since the sales window opened on March 30.

Results of the first Rio 2016 ticket draw can be accessed by clicking here.

Last chance to support Team GB at Rio 2016

Those looking to support Team GB in Rio have another chance to buy tickets for the 2016 Olympic Games (15-21 August).

The second individual ticket request phase opened last week (Wednesday 3 June) and will close at 2pm on Wednesday (10 June).

Members of the public can register their interest for tickets online during this time.

“As far as we are aware this is the final opportunity fans will have to request tickets for the Olympic Games.”

This follows an initial individual ticket request stage which closed on 4 May.

A live sale of tickets had been planned to begin on 19 May but was halted by a technical problem.

“Ahead of the sale going live in May there was an unforeseen technical issue which prohibited this from happening,” added the BEF spokesman.

To register your interest in purchasing tickets visit the CoSport website — the authorised ticket reseller for the Games in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

By 15 June 2015, applicants will receive confirmation of the requested tickets that will be offered for purchase.

Payment for confirmed tickets that are wanted must be received by no later than 2pm on 19 June 2015.

Hotel and ticket packages are on offer in addition to individual tickets. These packages include three- or four-star accommodation, daily breakfast and support from the CoSport team and local hosts.

“Our hotel and ticket packages simplify attending Rio 2016 so our guests can focus on enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Robert F. Long, president of CoSport.

“There will be plenty of opportunities to choose from once sales open, but the best packages will surely go fast.”

For more information visit: www.cosport.co.uk

Lummertz Named Embratur Chief Under New Regime

Brazil’s Tourism Board (Embratur) named Vinicius Lummertz, a former official at the country’s Ministry of Tourism and one-time secretary of tourism for the city of Florianopolis, its president this week. Lummertz replaces Vincente Neto, who had headed the agency since March.

Lummertz’ appointment to the post follows the April naming of Henrique Eduardo Alves as Brazil’s new tourism minister by Dilma Rousseff, the country’s president. Alves is a former speaker of Brazil’s House of Representatives and replaced Vinicius Lages, who had been tourism minister for 13 months.

Lummertz’ background includes significant experience in Brazilian tourism policy work. Most recently the Tourism Ministry’s national secretary of tourism policies, he “led the process of elaboration of the National Marketing Plan,” according to an Embratur statement.

“He has helped transform the sector into one of the main industries in…Brazilian economic development,” said officials in the statement. Lummertz is also credited with authoring the Tourism Ministry’s National Tourism Plan as head of its policy secretariat.

“Lummertz has a consistent legacy for tourism and engages daily in innovating the industry, bringing together entrepreneurs and public agencies forces,” said Alves in the Embratur statement. “Now he has a great task ahead. We have to modernize Embratur to position Brazil as one of the best destinations in the world.”

Specifically, Lummertz will be expected to “lead the process to modernize the local authority management model,” under Alves. The shift will enable “a more aggressive marketing strategy for international promotional activities,” said Embratur officials.

Rouseff has said Brazil faces “an extraordinary challenge” in preparing for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, saying the event “will lay again the country in the global focus.”

TACV launch Natal flights, their 5th new destination in 3 months

Fast developing national carrier of the Cabo Verde Islands, TACV, has announced in fifth new destination within the past three months with the launch of its new service from it base in Praia to the North Eastern Brazilain City of Joao Pessao in addition to recently launched Natal and Fortelaza. The new once weekly service will commence on November 20th 2015 and will be the first regular international scheduled service into the airport.

TACV already operates services to Europe via its hub in Cabo Verde from Boston and Providence in North America and from Fortaleza in Brazil with services from Recife to start in June 2015.

Joao Pessoa is the capital of the state of Paraíba in Brazil and is the easternmost city in the Americas.

TACV currently has a fleet of 5 aircraft including a Boeing 757 and Boeing 737’s. The airline recently switched its US East Coast operations from Boston to Providence with the current twice weekly service  growing to three during the peak summer season of July to early September. Thee airline also has launched a once weekly flight from its home base to Natal and Fortelza in Brazil. Within Europe TACV have a growing network of servces to Paris, Madrid, Milan, Lisbon and Amsterdam.

Brazil Airlines Covet Europe With Tam Hub

Latam Airlines Group SA, the biggest airline in Latin America, is planning to create an international hub in northeastern Brazil as it seeks to tap demand for flights to Europe and compete with a Portuguese rival.

Creating a hub in Natal, Fortaleza or Recife would give fliers, easier and more direct access across the Atlantic, rather than convening in the southerly city of Sao Paulo. It would also mean faster turnaround times, which would cut costs in half, said Claudia Sender, chief executive officer of Latam’s Brazil unit, Tam.

A new regional seat will pit Santiago-based Latam against Lisbon-based TAP SGPS SA, which has more routes between Brazil and Europe than any other airline and flies to the three cities Latam is considering. Tap is being sold by the Portuguese government and has received offers from Avianca Brasil owner Synergy Group, run by the Efromovich family, and Azul SA, the Brazilian carrier created by JetBlue Airways founder David Neeleman.

“We think the potential demand in the northeast is far beyond what we see today,” Sender said in an interview at Bloomberg’s Sao Paulo office. “With a hub in the Northeast, we can better use our assets and capital, and offer more destinations to our passengers.”

Sender estimates that an additional 1.5 million passengers will board Latam’s new routes, which will include 10 European destinations. Today, Tam flies to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Madrid and, soon, Barcelona. The location of the hub will be chosen by the end of the year and flights should begin by December 2016, Sender said.

China and Brazil confirm trade and investment deals worth billions

Chinese premier Li Keqiang lifted the wraps Tuesday on a multibillion-dollar series of trade and investment deals with Brazil, as Beijing looks to invest $50bn in South America’s largest economy.

The news unveiled on the Chinese official visit is a huge boon for Brazil as it endures a fifth straight year of low growth after a period of rapid expansion fueled by an Asian demand for commodities that has since slowed.

Li’s host, President Dilma Rousseff, hopes Brazil can direct Chinese cash to overhaul decaying infrastructure as the country’s tourist magnet Rio de Janeiro prepares to host South America’s first ever Olympics next year.

Headlining deals agreed on Li’s first official visit to Latin America were a pair of finance and cooperation deals worth $7bn for Brazil’s state-owned oil firm Petrobras.

Brazil’s government has been hit by a huge graft scandal embroiling its flagship company over the past year, but the oil giant received a boost earlier this year in signing a $3.5bn financing deal with the China Investment Bank.

Despite becoming Brazil’s number one trading partner in 2009, amid an exponential rise in two-way trade, China currently ranks only 12th in terms of actual investment in Brazil, prompting Brasilia to seek deeper economic ties.

The Chinese are notably supplying new metro trains and catamarans to the Olympic host city and Li will visit Rio on Wednesday to inspect those investments before leaving Thursday for Colombia ahead of trips to Peru and Chile.

Li’s tour, aimed at underpinning growing Chinese influence in Latin America, comes just days after Beijing signed accords worth $25bn and $22bn with fellow BRIC developing nations. But the Brazil package is worth more than those combined.

At their talks, aside from the Petrobras agreements, Rousseff and Li also signed a range of deals designed to further bilateral cooperation on trade, investment, agriculture, energy and transport, official sources said.

Brasilia and Beijing also finalized a $1.3bn accord to sell 22 Brazilian Embraer commercial jets to China’s Tianjin Airlines, Embraer said in a statement, while Brazil’s Vale, the world’s biggest iron producer, announced extended cooperation with China on maritime transport of iron ore.

Vale said it would expand an existing accord by selling four ore carriers to China Merchants Energy Shipping Co Ltd without giving a figure for the agreement.

Further topics on Tuesday’s agenda ranged from lifting an import ban on Brazilian beef to an ambitious project to build a railway from the key southeastern Brazilian port of Santos more than 3,500 km (2,200 miles) to the Peruvian Pacific port of Ilo.

In Brazil, Beijing sees even greater scope to bolster bilateral trade, which has grown exponentially over the past decade, with the Asian giant becoming Brazil’s main trading partner in 2009.

Trade between China and Latin America as a whole exploded from barely $10bn in 2000 to $255.5bn in 2012.

Sino-Brazilian trade mushroomed from $6.5bn in 2003 to $83.3bn in 2012, though China is just the 12th largest investor in Brazil.

Ahead of Li’s arrival Monday evening, Jose Graca Lima, head of Asian affairs in the Brazilian foreign ministry, explained that a “second generation” of Chinese investment is under way, switching from trade in raw materials to heavy industry and infrastructure.

Facilitating the movement of imports from Brazil – and similarly that of its own exports to Latin America – is a key Chinese aim. That desire lies behind the mooted Chinese-financed $10bn railway project.

The planned line, stretching either across Brazil and into Peru or potentially via a shorter route into Peru via Bolivia, would go through Amazonia, sparking environmental concerns.

“If we consider Brazil’s investment portfolio, then clearly a project of this dimension is justified,” Trade Minister Armando Monteiro told AFP in an interview Monday