Brazil ready to welcome tourists during World Cup, minister says

Six days before the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil’s Tourism Minister Vinicius Lages said on Friday (Jun 6) that the country is ready to welcome tourists. “Sadly, some of the works remain unfinished, like [urban] mobility works and airports, but that won’t get in the way of hosting the World Cup. The country’s infrastructure has never been as good and comprehensive as it is today,” he stated.

The ministry expects 600 thousand visitors from 186 countries plus 3.1 million Brazilian tourists to travel through the country during the international competition, bringing around $2.95 billion into the economy.

According to Lages, in case football fans find themselves unable to arrive at a World Cup venue because of a public demonstration, they are asked to call a tourist’s hotline for advice, and to look for a Special Police Unit for Tourism Support in case of emergency. He also mentioned once again the launch of an application designed smartphones, named Fellow Trip, which shows information about alternate means of transportation for reaching the stadiums.

“Most tourists come from consolidated democracies, and have protests as part of their daily lives. It only worries us if a demonstration takes a more violent turn. We’ll be always available for giving advice to tourists and find an alternate way,” Lages added.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira