Who says Brazil is not totally focused on the 2016 Summer Olympics? Why else would the Brazilian Tourism Institute (EMBRATUR) come up with a bit of aviation trivia that reads: “The United States, the second largest delegation in the 2012 Olympics, had the largest number of flights to Brazil in 2014. In fact, international flights to Brazil increased by 30.97 percent in 2014, compared to 2010.”
Hey, are you still with me? This mathematical maze comes full circle when you learn that North American travelers have a total of 14,573 flights per year at their disposal to Brazil, which will host the Olympic Games in 2016. Now what is EMBRATUR really trying to tell us? That it’s never been easier to fly on down to any one of Brazil’s international gateways, but there is no time like the present to start planning client trips during the Olympic year coming up.
While the Olympic Games offer a huge variety of athletic bases, it is no surprise that in “futbol-minded” Brazil, the biggest news concerns soccer. In addition to Rio de Janeiro, five other Brazilian cities will be hosting soccer matches during the 2016 Games: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Manaus, Salvador and Sao Paulo. This arrangement is particularly pleasing to Vincente Neto, president of the Brazilian Tourism Institute, “for the expansion of the Olympics to five Brazilian destinations is rewarding for the Olympic Games players and visitors, and also strengthens the promotion of Brazil in these five regions.”
Still staying with soccer, a total of 16 teams will compete in the men’s division, with competition starting on Aug. 4, and the final played out on Aug. 20 in the Maracana Stadium; the women’s tournament starts on Aug. 3 with the final on Aug. 19—also in Rio’s Maracana playing field. For more information, go to visitbrasil.com and rio2016.com.
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