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Romantic and luxurious getaway in Porto de Galinhas

Porto de Galinhas, that means “Port of Chickens” in Portuguese, is situated about 60 km south from Recife, in the municipality of Ipojuca. The name has its origin in the late 19th century, when the “black ships” (which transported slaves from Africa to Brazil), due to restrictions imposed by the government to the slavery, looked for other places to harbor. When a “black ship” arrived in town, because of the restrictions to the commerce of slaves, the words were “there are new chickens at the port”, so the name, Nannai Porto de Galinhas, today a well known fishing village awarded several times as the best beach in Brazil.

In the same area of paradisaical landscapes and clear water, there is Muro Alto beach, that hosts an exclusive beach resort, perfect for a romantic and luxurious getaway. Nannai Beach Resort is an exclusive resort set around 6000m² of crystal-clear pools and lagoons, situated on Pernambuco’s southern coast about 50km from Recife. The name Muro Alto beach is derived from the coconut palm-lined sandy cliffs found in the area. In a well know beauty spot that captivates tourists, the beach is formed by reefs that creat a 2km long tidal pool; guests can admire this outstanding natural beauty whilst enjoying breakfast at the beach side restaurant.

Guests can also enjoy natural swimming pools with natural clear waters, with a wide variety of tropical fish, at Nannai Porto de Galinhas, only ten minutes by buggy from the hotel. It is precisely in Nannai Porto de Galinhas where you can sail in a traditional “jangada” (sailing raft), which takes you into close contact with nature in the perfectly conserved mangroves. The village has charming bars and restaurants serving high quality regional cuisine within a very popular shopping area that offers a wide variety of goods and services.

Nannai Beach Resort concept is based on the preservation of the environmental, climatic and cultural values of the region utilizing the rationale of different ambiances within distinctive comfortable premises which blend in with the natural surroundings. Within this unique concept, the resort seeks to offer a new option to those looking for privacy, peace and tranquility, and a little escape from the daily grind. Amongst the accommodation options there are apartments or bungalows with private swimming pools.

The resort boasts a spacious and well ventilated restaurant, a sheltered balcony with an incredible sea view, offering guests the best in regional cuisine together with elements of international cuisine and an especially selected wine list, encompassing various different regions to satisfy the most demanding of palates.

The resort offers an extensive range of pools, with over 6000m² of refreshing crystalline waters of varying depth that cover much of the leisure area. The main pool boasts swimming lanes, exclusive jacuzzi areas, water volleyball, a beach with a sea view, a children’s area and a wet bar.

Nannai Beach Resort, located at this paradisaical place in the Northeast of Brazil, is the perfect destination for your Brazil Honeymoon and luxurious vacation.

Brazil is chosen by National Geographic as one of the best adventure destinations

FLORIANÓPOLIS, may 16th – Brazil is the best destination for adventurers and radical sports fanatics for 2009, according to the magazine National Geographic Adventure, a publication with more than 2.4 million readers throughout the world. Other than Brazil, Nepal was the only destination that received that title.

“Brazil was selected due to its consistent improvement of its infrastructure, which has facilitated transportation to the heart of Amazônia, the wildlife of the Pantanal and other innumerable hidden places with white–sand beaches,” explains Brian Kinkade, Director of Travel and Tourism for National Geographic Adventure.

Brazil had already been awarded the title in 2006, when several countries were contemplated. “The worldwide credibility of National Geographic only reinforces and consolidates the image of Brazil as the top tourist destination for adventure,” says the Coordinator–General for Sales Support of Embratur, Karem Basulto.

Promotional activities – In September 2008, Brazil established in São Paulo the headquarters for the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS), one of the largest global forums for Adventure Tourism – organized by the Brazilian Association of Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism Companies – ABETA, in partnership with the Adventure Travel Trade Association – ATTA. It was the first time that the event, captured with the support of Embratur, was held outside of North America.

Brazil has approximately 1,500 companies spread around the main regional locations for adventure. It is estimated that adventure tourism is growing at the rate of 15–20% per year. According to International Tourist Demand, a study conducted by FIPE (Institute of Economic Research Foundation) for Embratur, 19.5% of foreign tourists that visited the country for leisure purposes in 2006 said they had chosen Brazil for reasons having to do with “nature, ecotourism or adventure.”

Brazil’s natural beauties compete for title of 7 natural wonders

In January, the “New7Wonders” site published the new list of contenders for the election of the seven natural wonders of the planet. There are 261 candidates, spread over all of the continents.

Brazil is competing in the race on the basis of four of its natural scenes: the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Amazônia, the Iguassu Falls and Mount Roraima. Only Fernando de Noronha is exclusively in Brazil; the others are shared by other countries. The Amazon region is part of eight other nations.

In order to vote for any of the natural wonders of the world, go to the “New7Wonders” site (in English). This stage of the voting goes through to July 7th, when a UNESCO representative will review the 77 most voted sites, and pick 21 finalists, which will be announced on July 21st.

Fernando de Noronha
The archipelago has 21 islands. The largest, and the only one that is inhabited, is Fernando de Noronha; it has a marine national park which covers 85% of its territory, and it is a natural patrimony of humanity site. Federal laws control visits there and daily rates are charged to tourists who stay among the slightly more than 2,000 inhabitants; this is a way to preserve this ecological sanctuary, where more than 250 species of fish live. The sea provides a lucrative business in diving, day and night, with an exhibition of the colors of the corals, rays and immense, but docile, turtles.

The Amazon River and Forest
The exuberance of this place, with its fauna and flora, takes up many pages in encyclopedias. The forest holds surprises, such as the dark waters of the Rio Negro, and of the Solimões River, which join to form the Amazon River. For 6 km, the waters of the two rivers run side by side, without mixing. This phenomenon is due to the great difference in temperature of the rivers and the speed of their currents. The Rio Negro runs at about 2km/hour, at a temperature of 22°C, while the Solimões runs at 4–6km/hour, at a temperature of 28°C.

Iguassu Falls
The Iguassu Falls, in the western part of the state of Paraná, is the most frequently visited national park in Brazil. Each month, thousands of Brazilians and foreigners walk the trail through the forest fronting the cataracts of the Iguassu River, a colossus of nature. The visual and aural impact of the force of the waters, which fall from heights that vary from 40m to 85m, reinvigorate the senses. According to geologists and historians, the river”s falls were formed between 1 million and 1.5 million years ago. The different heights from which the waters fall are due to the discharge of basaltic, volcanic lava during the Cretaceous Period. Its canyons were excavated by natural erosion.

Mount Roraima
Mount Roraima is 2,875 meters tall, and in order to reach its peak, a tourist will confront such challenges as rivers and rock formations at the beginning of the climb, winds of up to 100km/hour and temperature variations between 5°C and 35°C. It is an inhospitable place, surprising in its nature. The flora of the region is very rich, with more than 400 species of bromeliads and two thousand ferns. During the ascent, there is an enchantment of plateaus called the Vale of Crystals, containing formations of small sculptures of pointed crystals. On average, it takes six days to climb and descend from the mountain, an effort that is worthwhile.

FLORIANÓPOLIS, may 16th – The Marriot International hotel network is committed to development in Brazil. That is a statement made by the President and Director–General of the Marriot International network, Ed Fuller, and it is proof of the satisfaction of the group that won the Global Tourism Business Award, given by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

The Marriott group has five projects in Brazil. According to Fuller, the investments made in Brazil are worthwhile because the country continues to grow, despite the crisis. “We never think about immediate results; we always think about the results that we can achieve in the long term,” he stated.

The recently published Satellite Count study of the WTTC predicts that Brazil will probably suffer a retraction of 0.4%, while the Gross National Product for tourism in other countries will probably show a retraction in real growth of 3.5%.

Brazil is an example to be followed in order to overcome the crisis in the tourist industry

FLORIANÓPOLIS, May 16 – The measures adopted by the Brazilian government to encourage domestic trips were cause for praise during the panel discussion on “Removing barriers on the way to global integration of Travel and Tourism,” at the World Congress of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in Florianópolis this Saturday (the 16th).

Brazil was noted as an “optimum example in the creation of jobs through tourism,” by Hubert Joly, President and CEO of Carlson, a world leader in the business travel sector. “In the United States, President Obama presented a similar law to Congress, and it should win approval,” he said. “The United States should mirror the example of Brazil,” Joly said, as he praised the initiative of the Brazilian government in creating the General Law on Tourism.

The executive also stated that the approval of that law represents recognition of the importance of the tourism industry in the creaation of jobs. He pointed out that, due to the present crisis, more than 30,000 people lost their jobs in three months. “It is important that governments know that we are talking about low paying jobs such as those for receptionists, maids and cab drivers, which means thousands of employed workers,” he said.

In Brazil, the tourist industry has generated more than two million jobs during the year. New openings amounted to 106,000 – 5.7% more than in 2007. If informal work were included, as well as the bar and restaurant sector, the number would be 6.3 million jobs.

The session enjoyed the participation of the economist Paulo Nogueira Batista, Jr., an executive with the International Monetary Fund; Sebastián Escarrer, of the Sol Meliá group; Arthur de Haast, of the Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels group; Manfredi d”Oividio, of Silversea Cruises; and Fernando Pinto, of TAP Portugal. The participants discussed the importance of the sector in having the benefits of globalization reach the greatest number of people.

Growth of the sector depends upon public-private partnerships

FLORIANÓPOLIS, May 16 – Public–private partnerships are essential to create policies for the development of the tourism sector said authorities and businessmen this Saturday at the capital of Santa Catarina during the 9th World Conference of the WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council). “This partnership requires leadership and credibility,” said the President of Embratur (Brazilian Tourism Institute), Jeanine Pires. “In addition, every partnership requires a clear purpose, one that will achieve practical results,” she said, from her position as a member of the round table for “Concrete Partnerships.”

In a video shown as part of the round table, the Minister of Tourism for the United Kingdom, Barbara Follett, stated that partnerships in support of tourism should be created at all levels. “We are promoting the integration of different sectors that participate in any way within the tourism chain,” she said. In a recent study, tourism was identified as the fifth largest industry in the United Kingdom, generating more than 1.4 million direct jobs. “It is still a very fragmented industry, with various small businesses. We need to integrate them, and we must also approach the governing bodies of the private sector.”

The Minister of Tourism of Botswana, Kitso Mokaila, said that his government has adopted a new approach in order to show the rest of the world that the country has adopted sustainable practices. The President of the Bharat Hotel network, Jyotsna Suri, stated that there is no policy for tourism that can survive without public–private partnerships. “In India, we are making progress, but there is much to be done. We have the potential, and such partnerships will help us to grow.”

Jeanine Pires, President of Embratur, said there is a disconnect between the speed of movement of the public and private sectors, since Brazilian companies act more rapidly than the government. Mokaila, meanwhile, stated that the reality in Botswana is the opposite. “The government acts quickly, but the private sector has trouble keeping up.”

The honorary President of the Accor group in Latin America, Firmin Antonio, said that good social projects in the tourism area will never have any difficulty in finding public and private partners. “Our group has as one of its missions the communities in Amazônia, so that they can develop ecotourism in the region,” he said. According to him, the project for sustainable tourism, with social support, has attracted large private partnerships in Brazil and overseas.

Emerging countries will be the first to overcome the economic recession

FLORIANÓPOLIS, may 16th – Emerging countries, such as Brazil, China and Russia, will be the first to overcome the world economic crisis. This was the main conclusion of the panel on “Transforming Economies,” held during the 9th World Meeting of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), at Costão do Santinho, in Florianópolis.

The Vice–President of the Santander Group, José Berenguer, spoke about the emerging economies that continue to attract more new investments that guarantee their economic growth and the attraction of large international events to Brazil. As an example, he cited the 2014 World Cup and the Olympic Games of 2016; Rio de Janeiro is one of the candidates for the latter. These actions guarantee credibility for the Brazilian economy, and serve as an incentive to consumption.

John Walker, an economist with Oxford Economics, feels that this is the worst economic recession of the last 20 years. “Despite the recession and the swine flu, we have statistics that show there was an increase in traffic of international passengers in China, Japan, the United States and Europe,” he explained.

The Ministry of Tourism and of Environmental Protection in Montenegro, Predrag Nenezié, emphasized the role of governments within the crisis scenario. “There are a series of measures that should be adopted to help in the recovery of the economy,” he said. “It is fundamental that action, transparency and new projects financed by the government be shown,” he reiterated. In the Minister”s view, the crisis scenario also represents new opportunities for investments.

Also participating in the panel were Jared Carney, Director of the Milken Institute and Vladimir Yakushev, representing the S–Group Capital Management firm. The discussion was mediated by BBC journalist Tanya Beckett.

Regional routes can strengthen tourism, president Lula said

FLORIANÓPOLIS, may 14th – Focused on the Latin America market, Brazil will invest on regional routes, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil said on Thursday, in the Southern State of Santa Catarina. During his launch speech of the IX World Travel & Tourism Summit, Lula defended strengthen tourism among Brazil”s neighbors. According to him, regional routes could be subsided in the beginning of their operations, until they find themselves strong enough.

“How could we attract more Peruvians to visit Brazil if there”s so few options in the regional flight market?”, Lula asked. “The same happens with the Brazilians who want to visit Peru, Bolivia, because they will find difficulties”, he said. According to him, Brazilian government is investing to stimulate regional market. Lula mentioned some of the Brazilian government projetcs that could help to boost tourism, like double sizing the BR 101 Highway. “Then Argentines could find wonderful things in the Southern Brazil. And more Brazilians could experience the wonderful things of Argentina, like Buenos Aires.”

More than 500 people attended the opening ceremony of the WTTC Summit, for the very first time placed in Latin America. The meeting unites government authorities and businessmen from some of the biggest tourism corporations in the world, among them credit cards operators, hotels and fight companies. Brazilian Minister of Tourism Luiz Barreto said infrastructure investments from the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) will increase regional tourism.

According to Barreto, Brazilian government intends to strengthen South America routes, trough a project coordinated by the Ministry of Defense. The WTTC opening ceremony was attended by the governor of Santa Catarina, Luiz Henrique da Silveira, Embratur president, Jeanine Pires, and Florianópolis Mayor, Dário Berger.

Brazil: 7th position worldwide on number of international events

FLORIANÓPOLIS, May 15th – A study published today (the 15th) by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), a principal worldwide entity in the sector, shows that Brazil, with 254 international events within the criteria of the association held in 2008, is consolidated among the elite of the ten countries in the world that hosted events.

This Friday (the 15th), Brazil jumped one position among the countries in the world that have most often hosted international events, moving from the 8th to the 7th ranking of the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association). In 2003, Brazil held the 19th position (attached, a graph showing the country”s evolution in terms of ranking).

São Paulo, for the second consecutive time, is the city in the Americas that most often hosts international events, jumping from the 23rd position to the 12th in worldwide ranking. Rio de Janeiro, Foz de Iguaçu, Porto Alegre, Salvador, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Florianópolis and Recife are the other Brazilian cities that figure in the ranking done for cities that have hosted, as a minimum, five international events in 2008.

This news is being published at the time it became known, at Florianópolis, during the 9th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, a meeting that brings to Brazil the main authorities, public and private, for world tourism.

As the first Latin–American country to figure among the Top 10 in the ICCA ranking in 2006, Brazil, since then, has consolidated its vocation for the hosting of international events, maintaining its position as one of the ten best worldwide destinations in 2007 and 2008.

“This result demonstrates the consistent advance of Brazilian tourism in all segments. International events, especially, attract the tourist with high purchasing power, who spends more and winds up returning to Brazil with his family as tourists,” said the Minister of Tourism, Luiz Barretto.

Last year, Brazil hosted 254 international events within the criteria defined by the ICCA (itinerant events, of a fixed duration, with at least 50 participants). In 2007, that number was 209 events.

The ICCA study shows Brazil”s strong tendency toward decentralization of the places where international events are held: In 2003, 22 Brazilian cities held international events within the ICCA criteria. In 2008, that number jumped to 42 different cities (attached, a graph showing the evolution since 2003).

“The competition for the ranked positions of the ICCA is uncompromising; we always compete with very strong countries in this sector. Being among the ten countries that most often host international events is the result of the constant and professional work done by Embratur and by the convention bureaus of various cities in this country,” says Jeanine Pires, President of Embratur – the entity that has a specific policy of support in procuring international events for Brazil.

Boosting the economy
Since this is a segment that is still being structured, there are no official estimates of the worldwide activity in the sector. But preliminary data from an unpublished study made by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, at the request of Embratur, show that the direct economic impact of money spent by foreign participants in only fourteen international events held in Brazil in 2008 was US$14,949,558.00.

The study shows that the average spent by the overseas tourist at events in Brazil is US$314.70 – well above the average for the spending by tourists who come to the country on business, which is US$165.14, and those who come for leisure purposes (US$73.53).

The main amounts spent, according to the study, are for lodging (45.04%), food and beverages (13%), purchases and presents (11.95%), transportation (7.62%) and culture and leisure: US$1,118,039 (7.48%).

The ICCA ranking
Using well–defined criteria, the ranking for the hosting of international events is published annually by the ICCA. The results for 2008 were the most complete published by the entity to date: the hosting of 7,500 events, one thousand more than in 2007. The ranking published today is a preview of the complete report, which will be issued in July.

According to the 1998/2007 Statistics Report published by the ICCA in 2008, the sectors that most often hold international events are (graph attached):

1) Medicine – 18.5%
2) Technology – 14.1%
3) Sciences – 12.7%
4) Industry – 7.4%
5) Education – 5%

Procuring international events
Since 2003, Embratur has had in place a program to support procuring and promoting international events. The main objective of the program is not only to procure the event so that it is held in Brazil, but also to take advantage of the tourist”s visit to offer alternative activities and services, so that the tourist remains in the country for some additional days.