Apart from inspiring images of beautiful beaches and bronzed goddesses, Brazil also comes to mind when football is the talk of the day. The Portuguese-speaking nation is trying to grapple with the English language to cater to a mass influx of footie fans coming into the Latin American nation for the 2014 Fifa World Cup.
From June 12 to July 13, the country will be soaked in the winter sun and excitement as World Cup matches are held in São Paolo, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and other cities over the course of event. Brazil has a lot more to offer than a handful of beach destinations. Pantanal, the immense wetlands of the south rival the Amazon for biodiversity, city-hoppers can go to Brasilia to see what futuristic architecture looked like in the 60’s, to São Paulo for some of South America’s best graffiti, and to Olinda or Ouro Preto for colonial treasures.The enduring favourites remain Rio de Janeiro, the Iguaçu Falls, the Amazon river and rainforest. In Rio de Janeiro, a special police squad is still kept busy by drug gangs, murderers and armed robbers. In general, however, increased security has helped revive not only Rio but other once crime-ridden cities. It is advised to be on your guard and ideally in groups at all times when in the country. This is strongly recommended for those visiting Brazil for the World Cup and may still be applicable when the Olympic Games happen two years later.Brazil is the largest country in Latin and South America, and the world’s fifth-largest country, as such distances between the cities are quite large, the climate in the country is varied and the infrastructure only beginning to catch up, though its largest city, São Paolo, is a modern city in its own right. Brazil is a Bric nation (including Brazil, Russia, India and China), and being recognised as a global economy with immense potential. World Travel Market’s Latin America chapter is all geared up for it third chapter in 2015 after concluding a successful event this April in São Paolo. The event organised by UK-based Reed Travel Exhibitions, which brings the world to Latin America and promotes Latin America to the world has already seen 24 exhibitors rebook for next year’s event. WTM Latin America has been the catalyst for a phenomenal amount of business, thanks in part to the hosted buyer programme and the three speed networking events, which took place over the three days and facilitated an array of big money deals. The three-day event welcomed 16,000 trade professionals, witnessing a 3 per cent increase in visitors on the second day. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, was named the ‘Best Airline in the World’ and ‘Best International Airline’ at the Destaque Awards in Brazil. The double honours were received within the first year of Etihad Airways’ operations in South America, with the airline commencing daily flights to São Paulo in June 2013.The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conference in Uruguay by the Global Wellness Tourism Congress reveals the current state of – and projected growth for – the wellness travel market for the region stretching from Mexico/the Caribbean to Central and South America. The findings are clear: Latin America’s wellness tourism will grow 13.4 per cent a year through 2017 – the second-fastest growth rate for any global region. The market will double from $22 billion in 2012 to $42 billion by 2017. Brazil ranks among top 25 nations globally for future growth in this sector.31.7 million wellness-focused trips (inbound and domestic) are taken throughout the region each year, or roughly 6 per cent of the global total of 524 million. The top five country leaders in both trips and annual expenditures feature Mexico in the lead, followed by Brazil.By Rashi Sen