Brazil Investing in Tourism, Business Development
Brazil is such a Latin American destination that is investing heavily in its tourism and business development. On June 12, the entire world will be looking at the country as it hosts the 2014 FIFA World Cup. That international focus will continue through 2016 when Rio de Janeiro hosts the Summer Olympics.
“I’m not sure you’ll have room to publish all of our new developments,” says Vicente Nero, president of Embratur (the Brazilian tourist board). “Just for the World Cup, we have 12 stadiums, including new and refurbished arenas, and new public transportation options that include airports, light-rail systems, subways, rapid transit buses, as well as new accommodations.”
Nero adds that gearing up to host the 2016 Olympics in Rio means the country will continue working to improve its transportation hubs throughout the country, as well as add more hotels and meeting facilities. The city also expects to see a major modernization of its telecommunications sector.
This month, Brazil welcomes the 298-room Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel & Convention Center, located in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, on the southern coast of Pernambuco. The hotel is approximately 30 minutes from the city center of Recife, and will have more than 29,000 square feet of meeting space, all occupying a single floor.
The benefits of meeting in Brazil, Nero says, are innumerable, but he notes that the country’s variety makes it an ideal meeting destination. “As the biggest country in South America, Brazil has a major diversity of options to host meetings,” he says. “From Manaus in the heart of the Amazon forest, to Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has almost as many options for U.S. based organizations as the U.S. itself.”
For example, Nero points out, Sao Paolo has been described as “the New York of Latin America” due to its level of technology and financial know-how. At the same time, over in Rio, attendees can enjoy the combination of laidback beach lifestyle and venues capable of hosting small or large scale events.
