Tourist board promotes ’sensational’ Brazil
Sensational! That is the single word which the Brazilian tourist board uses to sum up the country, which is taking strides to promote the country both at home and abroad.
The Empresa Brasileira de Turismo (Embratur) is undergoing a road show tour of the UK again this year to demonstrate just how sensational the destination is, whether for a short or extended stay.
Earlier this month, the series of events kicked off in London, promoting Brazil to travel agents and tour operators.
It is the third year that Embratur has organised the workshops for travel companies in the UK, demonstrating the country’s continued desire to market itself to potentially lucrative sectors such as Britain.
During the tour, representatives from the Brazilian tourist board will give presentations to travel agents in Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin over a five-month period.
“The main objective of the workshops is to showcase … the beauty and wonders of Brazil, … giving a better understanding of Brazil and what it has to offer to the consumer,” said Embratur.
It stated that another aim of the road shows is to highlight “new and exciting destinations” that have perhaps previously slipped under the radar.
“The workshops will help update teams on the new tools and information available from the Brazilian Tourist Office’s web site, www.braziltour.com, to obtain travel details and information about Brazil, whilst providing a fun and informative evening for retail agency and tour operators’ staff,” Embratur added.
As with most things to do with Brazil, these are workshops with a difference. The presentation lasts half an hour and is followed by an hour and three-quarters of what Embratur calls “speed dating”. There is also a prize draw at the end of the night giving visitors the chance to win a trip to the South American country.
Laura Rendell Dunn, marketing manager at Journey Latin America, has been to the road shows before and says they are always well attended in the UK.
“They’re good fun as well and they’re very interesting events. They put on food and drink and they’re definitely worthwhile,” she asserts.
“It’s a very sociable evening as well. They serve the Brazilian cocktail drink, Caipirinha, so it’s nice and it’s an interesting evening, rather than sitting down in a room and listening to someone talk for two or three hours,” she adds.
Ms Rendell-Dunn says that Embratur does a good job of raising awareness about the new packages that are on offer for tourists visiting the country.
Journey Latin America sends plenty of representatives every year to make sure they are on top of the developments in tourism in the country.
Meanwhile, on a domestic front, the Embratur recently staged the prestigious Global Travel and Tourism Summit, once again turning the spotlight on the South American destination as one of the leading locations for holidaymakers.
In a speech to open the convention, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva highlighted the importance of tourism as a contributor to international trade, employment and social inclusion.
“Given tourism’s dynamic catalytic effect on other sectors of the economy, the Brazilian government is determined to join hands with this sector to reinforce its role in job creation and in achieving social goals through responsible growth policies,” he stated.
