During the World Cup, more than 1 million int'l visitors "flocked to Brazil," according to Mimi Whitefield of the MIAMI HERALD. Now, the country "hopes to take some of the lessons it learned from organizing a successful World Cup as it barrels full-speed ahead in preparing for its next mega sporting event: the 2016 Rio Olympics." Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur) President Vicente de Lima Neto said that "its first big online advertising campaign for the Olympics kicks off next month" and will run until just before the Aug. 5-21, 2016 event. Brazil had hoped for a tourism pop during the World Cup, "expecting 600,000 international visitors and 3 million Brazilians to attend matches and World Cup-related events in 12 host cities." Neto said that during the Cup, there were 3.1 million Brazilians circulating around the country for football events "and 1.035 million foreign visitors from 203 countries." Organizers also "predicted the economic impact of the World Cup" at $6.7B. Instead, Neto said that it was $7.5B. Surprising to the Brazilians "was the American fervor" for football. After Brazilians, Americans bought more World Cup tickets than any other nationality, "they were the top spenders and they stayed in the country 15 days -- two days longer than the average foreign visitor." As a result, Neto said that "Brazil is going to direct more of its promotional efforts to the North American market." Embratur’s "Brasil Sensacional" Olympic ad campaign "will emphasize the warmth and hospitality of the Brazilian people, an asset that was driven home in World Cup tourism surveys." German visitors "were impressed with how willing Brazilians were to share their tables and beer, and on the survey some French travelers remarked on how much Brazilians hugged." Hosting big sporting events "is part of the country’s long-term development strategy to burnish its image, attract more visitors and jump-start long stalled projects to improve the country’s roads, ports and airports" (MIAMI HERALD, 8/21).
