RIO DE JANEIRO HOSTS EXCITING EVENTS TO MAKE 2016 OLYMPICS THE MOST SENSATIONAL YET

09-28-2009

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The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, through EMBRATUR, marks presence in Copenhagen by broadcasting tourist attractions within the ‘Marvelous City’

 

Brasilia, Brazil – September 28, 2009 - The unique city attractions Rio de Janeiro boasts are on display as added bonuses for a sensational event should the Marvelous City, as Brazilians refer to it, be chosen as the site for the 2016 Olympics.  The sands of Copacabana will host volleyball tournaments and triathlons while canoeing and sailing competitions will be held on the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, with Christ the Redeemer – one of the seven wonders of the modern world – serving as the background. These locations are a few examples of those that take spectators breath away may serve as the host sites for the first Olympics held in South America.

 

To broadcast Rio’s attributes, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, through EMBRATUR, the Brazilian Tourism Board and in partnership with the state and municipal governments of Rio and the Brazilian Olympic Committee, is taking a series of steps to reinforce, in the international press, the actions of the candidate city, with emphasis on the tourist potential, and its capacity for hosting great events.

 

EMBRATUR’s President, Jeanine Pires, continues to emphasize the Olympic Games will be an event for Rio, but also for Brazil and South America.  “Rio is ready to greet the world. Brazilian tourism is gathering forces with the great support of all the country so that the world will have the amazing opportunity to attend a unique Olympics,” she said.

 

In preparation for the host city announcement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), October 2, EMBRATUR has begun to promote diverse activities in Rio in effort to provide visibility for Brazil and for Rio de Janeiro as a tourist destinations. 

 

“We would have a long period of exposure to worldwide media before, during and after the event,” said Pires.  “It is a great opportunity to definitively position Brazil as one of the best destinations in the world for great events and our chance to present the image of Rio and of the country.  Thus, the involvement of tourism in supporting Rio’s candidacy is fundamental.”

                                                   

The latest report released by the IOC regarding the four candidates including Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro was the only city noted with “very high quality,” the highest rating.  The main factors guiding the IOC’s analysis was the engagement of the government and of private initiatives, as well as the existence of a structured national Olympic committee.  The economic vigor of the country and the public’s support – 85 percent of the city’s inhabitants are behind the Olympic bid – were also pointed out in the report.

 

Support for Rio’s candidacy is present in other countries, as well.  On a recent visit to Brasília, Brazil’s capital, the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, made his preference clear when he noted, “All of France is in support of the candidacy of Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games of 2016.  Our vote is for you.  It would be wonderful for Brazil.  We will support you 100 percent.”

 

 

 

 

Brazilian Tourism Facts

 

●    Brazil ranks seventh in the ranking of the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), the largest international entity in the world in the meetings segment.

 

●    The World Economic Forum, in its third edition of the Report on Competitiveness in Travel and Tourism, issued this year, classifies Brazil 45^th among the 133 countries analyzed, and first in South America.  With regard to natural resources, Brazil is ranked second.

 

●    A study released in 2009 by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), affirms that Brazil ranks 13^th in terms of tourism economies, among the 181 countries studied, and in first place among the countries of Latin America.

 

Profile of the foreign tourist that visits Rio de Janeiro

 

●    Of the foreign tourists that visit Rio de Janeiro, 22.5 percent are from the United States, 8.1 percent from France, 6.9 percent from Argentina, 5.8 percent from England and 4.9 percent from Chile.

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