On the road to rio: brazil's big economic ambition
Photo credit: Ricardo
The star-studded London 2012 closing ceremony may have only been a couple of weeks ago but with the Olympic flag officially now handed over and on Brazilian soil, we are now firmly on the road to Rio and the 31st Olympiad.
Witnessing the positive impact on not only London but Great Britain's tourism industry as a whole, Brazil too is eager to maximise the opportunity as Latin America's powerhouse plays host to both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
And the Brazilians have certainly set their targets high with tourism officials aiming to double annual tourist arrivals to 10 million by 2020 and in line with the government's Plano Aquarela (Watercolour Plan - which defines the country's international tourism strategy), are intent on being the third largest tourism economy in the world by 2022.
Commenting on these objectives, Dean Thomas, MD of DLT Property, owner and developer of unrivalled land opportunity, Palm Springs Natal located in the north-east of Brazil, comments,
"The targets which the Brazilians have set themselves may sound tall but they are achievable. A recent World Travel and Tourism Council report revealed that tourism levels in Brazil should rise from 4.5% to 9.5% of total GDP by 2022 and with Embratur (The Brazilian Institute of Tourism) earmarking €134 million exclusively for international promotion of Brazil, the destination will certainly not be far from people's minds over the next few years."
The 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games have become catalysts for growth and development in Brazil, especially in terms of infrastructure and transport links. Some €33 billion has been allocated to improve infrastructure with the number of airports offering commercial flights set to rise from 129 today to over 200 by 2014 according to The Minister of Civil Aviation and almost 61% of the €5.89 billion worth of urban transportation projects planned for the World Cup are now underway.
Just as 'legacy' was the winning word for London 2012's successful bid, Brazil too is fully aware of the rare opportunity they have been granted to enjoy the positive effects in the run up to, during and after such global sporting events. Economic impacts resulting from the hosting of the World Cup could reach $183.2 billion by 2019 and generate more than 700,000 jobs according to the Director of International Markets at Embratur.
As Dean Thomas concludes,
"These two global sporting events will mark a real turning point for Brazil. Already a powerful BRIC nation and the 6th largest economy in the world, the world will look upon Brazil with fresh eyes come 2014 and again in 2016. No longer simply the land of sea, sun and samba, today's Brazil is one of economic prosperity, consumer confidence and growth."