The number of tourists may decrease during the World Cup.

Wellton Maximo
Reporter from Agência Brasil

Brasilia - The tourism success of World Youth Day (WYD), which attracted 2 million visitors and injected R$ 1,2 billion into the Rio de Janeiro economy, is unlikely to be repeated in the next two major events to be held in the country, according to experts consulted by [source name]. Agency BrazilThe number of foreign visitors to the country's main tourist cities is expected to fall during the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, compared to normal years. This decline is expected because mega-sporting events attract a specific audience. The average visitor, they argue, refrains from traveling to avoid high prices and the crowds.

“Major events are marked by the interaction of two opposing effects. On the one hand, they attract a specific type of tourist. But simultaneously, they drive away the regular tourist, who wants to escape the chaos, the general price increases, and the decline in service quality,” says Leonel Rossi, Vice President of International Affairs at the Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies (Abav).

He recalls that this situation occurred during the London Olympics last year. According to the London city hall, 900 tourists passed through the city during the games, of which 300 were foreigners and 600 were British. Considering only international visitors, the drop reaches 75% compared to 2010, when 1,2 million tourists from other countries visited the city per month.

The vice-president of Abav believes that the scenario should repeat itself during the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. He believes, however, that the drop in the volume of foreign tourists in the country will be smaller, varying from 20% to 30% compared to a normal year. “The drop should be smaller because many Latin American tourists will take advantage of the shorter distance to visit Brazil during these events. We already have information that there will be a large number of Mexicans in Brazil during the World Cup,” he emphasizes.

Flávio Borges, financial manager of the Credit Protection Service (SPC Brasil), also considers a drop in the total number of foreign visitors to the country during the World Cup and the Olympic Games to be quite likely. “A large-scale event is far from guaranteeing success in terms of traveler numbers. Recent experiences show that this occurs mainly in cities that usually attract a large number of tourists, such as Rio, and business events, such as São Paulo.”

Linked to the National Chamber of Retail Leaders (CNDL), SPC Brasil recently released a survey on the Confederations Cup. According to the survey, 85% of fans who went to the stadiums lived in the same state as the matches. Respondents were divided regarding the possibility of the type of audience changing during the World Cup, with a reduction in local fans: 52% said yes; 48% said no.

Despite doubts about the ability to attract tourists, the financial manager of SPC Brasil says that a possible decrease in the number of foreign visitors should not discourage commerce and tourism. According to him, the benefits to the Brazilian economy will only be felt after the events, provided that the country manages to project a positive image abroad.

“The number of foreign tourists in South Africa fell during the World Cup, but rose in subsequent years because the country benefited from the publicity and entered the international tourism circuit. The World Cup could leave this legacy for Brazil, but the country needs to manage the event well, and merchants and service providers need to prepare,” he advises.

Regarding the financial boost provided by World Youth Day, Borges says that the event's economic success only occurred because of the high number of tourists who arrived in Rio attracted by Pope Francis' charisma. "Pilgrims are a different kind of tourist, who stay in homes and spend practically everything on food. There's no way to compare World Youth Day, which has the appeal of a religious leader, to sporting events."

Data released on Thursday (1st) by the Ministry of Tourism shows that the image of the city of Rio de Janeiro has improved for Brazilian and foreign tourists after WYD. As a result, the majority of foreign visitors (92,1%) and Brazilian tourists (96,1%) intend to return to the capital of Rio de Janeiro. In total, 3,1 Brazilians and 1.350 foreigners from 175 countries shared their impressions of the tourist infrastructure of the city of Rio.

“The research results show that the event was positive. The evaluations indicate that Rio de Janeiro was approved as a location for mega-events, especially in the streets. These considerations are also very important for shaping the future of religious events in the country,” explains the director of the Department of Studies and Research at the Ministry of Tourism, José Francisco Lopes.

*Heloísa Cristaldo contributed to this report.

Edited by: Talita Cavalcante and Juliana Andrade