Exciting events in Rio de Janeiro could make the 2016 Olympics the most sensational yet

Brasilia (ots) - The incomparable attractions of Rio de Janeiro
will make the Olympic Games of 2016 in Rio de Janeiro a sensational
event. If the Marvelous City, as Brazilians call Rio, is chosen as
the site for the 2016 Olympics, the sands of Copacabana, famous for
holding one of the most talked about and debated celebrations in the
world, will host volleyball tournaments and triathlons. Canoeing and
sailing competitions will be held on the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon,
with Christ the Redeemer - one of the seven wonders of the modern
world - as the background. Flamengo Park, designed by Burle Marx,
will be the site for cycling and for the athletic parade. At
locations that take away the breath of both athletes and spectators,
the first Olympics in South America may take place.

In order to broadcast the attributes of one of Brazil's main
famous locations, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, through Embratur
(the Brazilian Institute of Tourism), in partnership with the state
and municipal governments of Rio and the Brazilian Olympic Committee,
is taking a series of actions to reinforce, in the international
press, the actions of the candidate city, with emphasis on the
tourist potential, and its capacity for hosting great events.

The President of Embratur, Jeanine Pires, reminds us that the
Olympic Games will be an event for Rio, but also for Brazil and South
America. "Rio is ready to greet the world. Brazilian tourism is
gathering forces with the great support of all the country so that
the world will have the amazing opportunity to attend a unique
Olympics," says Jeanine Pires.

Even before the announcement of the city chosen by the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), on October 2, Embratur has
begun to promote diverse activities aimed at the press and at local
businesses. The objective is to provide visibility for Brazil and
for Rio de Janeiro, starting with the dissemination of information
relating to Brazilian tourist destinations.

"We will have a long period of exposure to worldwide media before,
during and after the event. It is a great opportunity to
definitively position Brazil as one of the best destinations in the
world for great events. It will be our chance to present the image
of Rio and of the country. Thus, the involvement of tourism in
supporting Rio's candidacy is fundamental," Jeanine Pires explains.

In the latest report released by the IOC regarding the four
candidates (the others are Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo), Rio de Janeiro
was the only city regarded as being of "very high quality," the
highest rating of all. The main factor that guided the IOC's
analysis was the engagement of the government and of private
initiatives, as well as the existence of a structured national
Olympic committee. The economic vigor of the country and the
public's support - 85 percent of the city's inhabitants are behind
the Olympic bid - were also pointed out in the report.

Support for the city's candidacy is present in other countries, as
well. On a recent visit to Brasília, Brazil's capital, the President
of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, made his preference clear. "All of
France is in support of the candidacy of Rio de Janeiro for the
Olympic Games of 2016. Our vote is for you. It would be wonderful
for Brazil. We will support you 100 percent ," he guaranteed.

Brazilian Tourism Facts

- Brazil ranks seventh in the ranking of the ICCA (International
Congress and Convention Association), the largest international
entity in the world in the meetings segment.

- The World Economic Forum, in its third edition of the Report on
Competitiveness in Travel and Tourism, issued this year,
classifies Brazil in 45th place among the 133 countries
analyzed, and first in South America. With regard to natural
resources, Brazil is ranked second.

- A study that released in 2009 by the World Travel and Tourism
Council (WTTC), affirms that Brazil ranks 13th in terms of
tourism economies, among the 181 countries studied, and in first
place among the countries of Latin America.

Profile of the foreign tourist that visits Rio de Janeiro

- Of the foreign tourists that visit Rio de Janeiro, 22.5 percent
are from the United States, 8.1 percent from France, 6.9 percent
from Argentina, 5.8 percent from England and 4.9 percent from
Chile.

- The main motivation of the foreign tourist who picks the
Marvelous City to visit is leisure (53.1percent). The second
(28.5 percent) relates to business, events and conventions.

- The most sought out segment for the foreign tourist that chooses
Rio de Janeiro is sun and sand (44.6 percent), followed by
culture (22.1 percent), ecotourism (20.6 percent) and sports
(6.0 percent). Taking into consideration all of the tourist
segments, the average stay of the foreign tourist in Rio de
Janeiro is 15.5 days, and the average spending level is US$90.10
per day.

About EMBRATUR

The mission of the Brazilian Tourism Board, EMBRATUR, is to
promote Brazil in the international market as a destination for
travelers. The Brazilian Federal Government and EMBRATUR have
implemented the Aquarela Plan which calls for generating consumer
awareness about Brazil and attracting more tourists. The established
target for the U.S. sector is increasing the annual numbers for
tourists entering the country to 9 million, and attracting a total
amount of $8 billion in revenue by 2010. There are nine EMBRATUR
offices globally including Lisbon (Portugal), Paris (France), London
(U.K.), Frankfurt (Germany), Madrid (Spain), Milan (Italy) and Tokyo
(Japan). There is also a Bureau for Tourism for Latin America, based
at the EMBRATUR office, in the city of Brasília. For more information
visit http://www.brasilnetwork.tur.br and visit the Newsroom.

This release is part of Embratur's press kit to be distributed on
site in Copenhagen.

Originaltext: Embratur
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Contact:
Pressestelle Embratur Deutschland
c/o Edelman GmbH
Tel.: 069 / 75 61 99 34
ilka.benthin@edelman.com