Embratur holds special briefing in New York to report on preparations for FIFA 2014 World Cup

NEW YORK, NY – As part of the one year countdown to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur) made its last stop on a global road show in New York City to report on preparations for the global sporting event and to get key audiences excited about World Cup and traveling to Brazil. The nearly yearlong series of events titled, “Goal to Brazil” aimed to provide important updates to media and members of the travel trade on how Brazil is preparing for the influx of 600,000 foreign tourists expected to travel to Brazil during the 30 days of the World Cup next year. Other stops on the tour included; Bogota, Milan, Berlin, Paris and London.

Brazilian Tourism Board’s Director of Marketing, Walter Vasconcelos, led the event, and he was joined by Ricardo Gomyde of the Brazilian Ministry of Sports and representatives from the 12 World Cup host cities.

The event highlighted each of the 12 host cities, provided progress on stadium construction and renovations in each city, gave details on hospitality offerings and outlined infrastructure improvements being made throughout the country to support both World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

Key points discussed included:

Last year, Brazil welcomed 5.7 million foreign tourists, a 4.5% increase over 2011. The goal is to increase that number to 10 million by 2020.
Brazil has invested US$16.5 billion in infrastructural improvements including the construction of seven new stadiums, airport/port expansion, enhancements to transportation and telecommunications.
147 new hotels are under construction or newly inaugurated for World Cup travelers.
240,000 professionals throughout the 12 host cities are being trained in specialties related to hospitality and security to support the influx in tourists.
Most stadiums are equipped with green technology to minimize the carbon footprint. At least seven of the stadiums will harness solar power as an energy source.
The FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, an event that happens one year before FIFA World Cup 2014, will take place next month in Brazil from June 15-30, 2013 in six of the 12 World Cup host cities.

At the event, the Brazilian Tourism Board also unveiled its new website, designed to give consumers an interactive experience. The portal includes updated content, interactive tools that will help visitors plan their trips to Brazil and fresh images that show the spectacular experience that awaits them. A unique asset of the site is that there is no traditional homepage. The content, offered at visitbrasil.com, will vary depending on the visitor’s location and time of year. The WISHLIST feature will help visitors to “collect” their favorite experiences, creating a list of interesting things to do in Brazil. When connecting with Facebook, it will be possible to share content with friends through other social media, like Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter. Additionally, the new website will be an important working tool for international press, containing downloadable materials and recent news about Brazil.

Representatives from each of the 12 official host cities also had an opportunity to interact with journalist to provide in-depth information about the unique characteristics of their city, and the “not-to-miss” attractions for tourists. The 12 host cities for the 2014 World Cup are: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro (where the final game will be held), Manaus, Salvador and Sao Paulo.

“The Goal to Brazil series has provided a valuable opportunity to tell the world about the improvements made in Brazil as we prepare for the 2014 World Cup. We’ve traveled from Chile to Mexico, from Spain to the UK, and we could not think of a better place to finish this adventure and ignite the spirit of World Cup than New York City. We are excited about welcoming American tourists to meet in Brazil and to experience our diverse culture in a unique destination,” said Embratur’s Marketing Director Walter Vasconcelos.