Brazil for Business Events and International Meetings

Brazil has already been on the international business and events circuit for a long time. The evolution of tourist activities and the development of new specialities has enhanced the increasing importance of Brazil as a destination for this purpose.

Brazil has the largest and the most important exhibition building for trade fairs in South America. This is particularly evident in economic sectors in which Brazil has a consistent international position. These include textiles, footwear and accessories, jewellery and precious stones, foodstuffs, plastics, building materials, aeronautics, and instruments for the health sector.

The growth of business and events tourism in Brazil is largely due to the excellent infrastructure available: a large chain of top-ranking hotels and resorts, excellent airports, transportation, telecom and financial services. Besides, of course, there are other attractions like the varied, tasty cuisine and the wide array of options in entertainment and shopping.

Add to all this the fact that Brazil has a rapidly expanding economy with a domestic market of approximately 180 million people and a prevalent urban population. The modern and diversified industrial complex, the strong and dynamic commerce; the advanced technology in various sectors, and an agriculture and cattle raising sector that is among the most developed and productive in the world make Brazil a virtually inexhaustible source of investment.

That is why one can say that a business trip to Brazil - for trade fairs, congresses, symposiums, business meetings and events, for events in the fields of health, politics, sports, science and education, for shopping, promotion or technical visits - is always a visit with guaranteed returns in every aspect..

Brazil's figures are impressive: its population is just over 180 million inhabitants; it has a territory covering more than 8.5 million km², a 7.367-km coastline, and 5.658 municipalities.

The country has 26 states and a Federal District (here its capital, Brasilia, is situated), divided into 5 macro-regions: North, Northeast, Centre-West, Southeast and South.

Although 92% of the Brazilian territory is located in an inter-tropical zone and warm weather predominates (with average temperatures above 20º C), there are semi-arid regions and snow is possible occasionally.

The Pantanal marshland is the biggest floodplain in the world.

The Amazon is the biggest tropical rainforest in the world with the greatest biodiversity on Earth, comprising 34 different ecosystems. A single hectare of forest may have up to 300 types of trees. One in every five plant species in the world is in the Amazon Forest. The Forest, covering an area of 5.5 million km², has no less than one third of all the planet's species. Some estimates reckon there are more than 10 million living species in the Amazon, but the actual number is incalculable.

The Amazon River has more than 1.000 tributaries.

The country is home to nearly 20% of all animal species on the planet with the largest number of endemic species in the world: 68 mammals, 191 birds, 172 reptiles, and 294 amphibians.

Brazil has marine coastal waters spanning over 3.5 million km², with a variety of ecosystems that include coral reefs, dunes, mangroves, lagoons, estuaries, and Marshlands.

Brazil has 53 National Parks. As much as 8.13% of its territory is protected in the form of conservation units.

As a result, Brazil is currently acknowledged worldwide as a leader among Latin American countries and among other developing countries.

The fairly heterogeneous Brazilian population is made up of native Indians and Afro-descendants (the second biggest black population in the world) as well as descendants of European, Asian and Arab people..

All religions can be found in Brazil, too. They coexist without any kind of conflict or discord. Religious sentiment is a personal, individual affair. What is collective and public is the notion that all citizens, Brazilians and foreigners alike, are entitled to profess and practise their beliefs in Brazil.

Lifestyle and Gastronomy: Differences do not have to be conflicting. Quite the contrary, in Brazil they are cause for celebration. In fact, there is one particularly significant trait that expresses Brazilian identity to perfection: the countless popular feasts.

Brazilians love celebrations. It is an integral part of the national character to celebrate, party, and bring friends together for any reason.

There is no great difference between religious events or pagan festivals. It is through these popular manifestations that the Brazilian people let go and show their zest for life.

In fact, even a simple roadside meal can be a festival of flavours. Brazil has a huge variety of fruit, vegetables, meat, flavours, sauces, seasonings and spices, so the dishes could only be unique!

There is a bit of everything: regional specialities, dishes for different seasons of the year, some based on religious traditions, others that came with the immigrants and were adapted to the new country.

The most popular dish is called FEIJOADA, always served piping hot. It was created by the African slaves from the leftovers of the Portuguese masters' meals. It goes with both the national spirit, CACHAÇA, or the drink made from it, CAIPIRINHA, blended with sugar and fresh lemon - and other tropical fruits - another very Brazilian creation.

Diversity renders Brazilian culture one of the richest in the world: Brazil is renowned worldwide for the creativity of its people. This is apparent in Brazilian music, in contemporary dance, in film, painting, literature, in the country's futuristic architecture and design.

It can equally be seen in complicated SAMBA dance steps, in the production of handcrafts, in sophisticated, colourful indigenous artefacts, and in street markets.

Creativity complemented by a wealth of cultural expressions. Characterised by diversity and acceptance, Brazil has staked out its place on the international circuit of major cultural events.

The country offers a wide variety of cultural events, museums, art galleries and international exhibitions.

Brazil is the most industrialised country in the Southern Hemisphere and the 15th largest global economy. The country has modern industries employing the latest technology in various sectors, sophisticated commerce, and agriculture that is among the most competitive in the world.

Of the world's 500 biggest corporations, 420 do business in Brazil. A total of 6,890 Brazilian companies have obtained the ISO 9000 quality certificate, a record among developing countries.

It is no coincidence that the largest Latin American airline and the two biggest airports in South America are in Brazil. The Guarulhos (São Paulo) airport has become a hub for the main cities of Brazil and South America.

Brazil is the world's second biggest executive jet and helicopter market.

The country has 14 car assembly plants in operation with another 4 being installed.

Brazil is the only country in the Southern Hemisphere participating in the Genome Project.

The country's industrial park is among the most diversified in the world, and it exports some 4,500 different products.

The Brazilian capital goods industry is the 6^th most advanced in the world.

The country is Latin America's biggest bus and mini-bus exporter.

It is a pioneer and world leader in paper & cellulose production, and the main world exporter of short-fibre cellulose.

Brazil ranks among the leaders in oil drilling and production, a sector that generates direct employment for 50.000 workers.

The brazilian chemical industry ranks seventh in the world.

The country is the second biggest soy bean, oil, and bran exporter, with some 20% of world production.

Brazil has one of the most competitive tractor and machine industries in the world, exporting to 120 countries.

The country is leader of the international sugar market, with 25% of global exports.

It also has the biggest marketable cattle herd in the world, as well as one of the most productive cold storage plant and tannery sectors.

Brazil is the biggest coffee bean producer and exporter, exporting to 60 countries.

It is the world's biggest poultry producer and exporter.

It ranks fifth in beer production exporting to more than 20 countries.

It is responsible for 80% of global orange juice exports.

Useful Information:

Visas and Passports - An entry visa is not required for holders of passports from European or South American countries. As a matter of reciprocity, a visa is required for those from the United States. Tourist visas can be renewed for a period of 180 days per year. Passports must be valid for at least six months after the planned date of arrival in Brazil.

Voltage - In the majority of Brazilian cities the electric current is either 110 or 220 volts, although it is advisable to confirm the voltage before plugging in any appliance. (Brasília is 220v and Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo 110v)

Car rentals - Rental cars, with or without a driver, are available for tourists at the main airports and in city centres.

Taxis - There are large fleets of taxis in most cities. Regular taxis, with a meter, can be hailed in the street. Radio-taxis can be called by phone. They have air-conditioning, and are more expensive.

Tipping - Most restaurants and bars include a 10% service charge in the bill. It is usual to leave a little more if the service was good. When it is not included on the bill, the general rule is a tip of between 10 and 15%. Taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped.

Currency - The currency in Brazil is the Real (abbreviated to R$). Dollars and traveller's cheques can easily be exchanged at hotels, authorised banks and travel agencies. International credit cards are accepted in most hotels, shops and restaurants. On average, tourists can consider an exchange rate of around USD 1 = R$ 2,5.

Transports - The bus is the most popular form of transport for travelling between states. For air travel, the main national airlines cover most domestic flights. There are also regional airlines, offering high levels of comfort and safety.

Communications - Any part of the world can be reached in real time by phone, fax or e-mail. The Brazilian cell phone market is the second largest in the world, with 650 thousand new lines sold every month.

Language - Portuguese is the national language, but the Portuguese spoken in Brazil is quite different, in accent, from the one spoken in Portugal. English and Spanish are widely spoken by hotel staff.

Accommodation - With more than 28,000 options of certified hotels to choose from, Brazil offers a huge variety of accommodation, capable of satisfying the most varied and demanding of tastes.

Time Zones - Brazil covers four time zones. Brasilia's (the capital city) is the official time in Brazil, three hours behind GMT (London) for most of the year. This changes with the onset of Summer Time, when clocks are put forward one hour. The time in the coastal cities in Brazil is the same as Brasilia time.

Brazil is such an amazing country that a business trip or a visit here to participate in an event may culminate in a smashing game of golf, in adventure tourism, ecotourism, diving, in a tour to a beautiful historical town, or even in a few days' relaxation at a resort. This is a unique opportunity. Don't miss it.

Heritage Sites

Our tours also include trips through time

Owing to their historical value or natural beauty certain sites acquire a symbolic significance that entitles them to be listed as world heritage by Unesco. A huge country like Brazil with its diverse culture, exuberant natural settings and historical importance deserves to have its heritage preserved, acknowledged and admired worldwide. If the UN itself recognises this, it is up to you to make the most of it. Brazil's Heritage Towns reflect the country's history. They display the evolution of our architecture from the first buildings inspired by the European styles of the age, to the remarkable flourishing of baroque in Brazil, to the modern, monumental works of Oscar Niemeyer. They testify to the regional differences within this country of geographic contrasts, to each region's economic, social and cultural peculiarities. They exhibit the veritable treasures that can only be properly appreciated first hand on a journey through physical space and (why not?) through time.

Golf

Landscape as captivating as the game

Soccer originated in England, golf in Scotland. In Brazil, though, both have acquired a special flavour. While soccer has taken on a magic Brazilian swing, golf has taken full advantage of the exuberance of the scenarios comprising our landscape.

With a drive here and a putt there, golf has been opening up fairways in Brazil, gaining coverage and eminence in the media. And, of course, infrastructure for the game has improved as well. Today, Brazil is ready to host major international competitions and place itself firmly on world's golfing circuit. We now have a large number of official courses, some designed by top specialists. Most are located in modern leisure resorts and luxury hotel complexes. As every day goes by, playing golf in Brazil is becoming a unique experience. Especially as the players tend to get double fillip: from their drives and from the views afforded by the course.

Resorts

When fun is a matter of multiple choice

Resorts are to tourism what shopping centres are to commerce because they gather in a single location activities for all types and ages. Initially sought after by vacationing families, they soon became preferential destinations for (national and international) incentive tourism, the venue for meetings and seminars organised by a wide variety of companies.

Resorts are big, complete and relaxing. Strategically located in privileged sites, they are decorated according to themes or the local culture. They provide faultless service and a varied menu of attractions including beach, swimming pool, golf, tennis, cinema, spa, competitions, indoor and parlour games, walks, riding and cycling. Leisure and recreation at the size of your imagination.

Specially planned to cater to a demanding public, brazilian resorts are a match for the best foreign counterparts. They even have an edge: enviable backdrops. Be it on a paradisiac beach, in the heart of a lush forest or on the banks of a eye-catching river, the best life has to offer awaits foryou 365 days a year at a resort in Brazil. Come and enjoy it.

Diving & Snorkelling

Your chance for a thrilling plunge

Countless rivers, streams, brooks, lakes, caves and almost 8,000 kilometres of coastline - a world of water for you to plunge into and discover species of rare beauty, to marvel at the rich fauna of the coral reefs, admire the fish and, of course, feel as if you are one of them. Diving in Brazil is the most exhilarating way to lighten your spirits.

Game Fishing

Another reason to feel hooked on Brazil

If you like a good fish, you are reading the right page. Brazil has the greatest variety of fish in the world and its rivers teem with fish.

Fishing tours in the Amazon and Pantanal or on the São Francisco, Araguaia and Paraná rivers have long been tipped as exceptionally good.

But there is fine fishing to be had elsewhere than on the great rivers lined with tropical forest. If you prefer, we have lakes, ponds, streams, reservoirs and mangrove swamps aplenty. And to make sure this long list of options is not incomplete, there is the massive coastline stretching for more than 8,000 kilometres. Water just about everywhere you turn.

If you are an adept of ocean fishing, the best time to fish is between September and the end of the year when a warm ocean current comes closer to the shore. Bahia and Espírito Santo are the states where ocean fishing is most practised.

There are countless species of fish. The most frequent in deep waters are marlin (blue and white), sailfish, swordfish, tuna, dolphinfish, barracuda and king mackerel. In shallow waters, catfish, puffer, dogfish (tope shark), croaker, anchovy, large-spotted dart, mullet and crevalle are all frequent catches.

Fishing in Brazil has an added advantage: our warm hospitality ensures you will never feel like a fish out of water here.

Adventure

Adrenaline unlimited

They say those with a spirit of adventure are never satisfied and forever setting off in search of tougher challenges and bigger thrills. For people like that, we recommend Brazil. No other country has so many and such distinct options. Take the 8.000 kilometres of glittering coastline, the mind-blowing 8,547,403 square kilometres of territory comprising extremely varied geography, the tropical climate, and nature that has rarely proved so generous elsewhere on Earth. The country can boast attractions for all tastes, on land, in the water or in the air. Or all together at one go. From amateurs to extreme sports pros, from children to elder adventure is within reach of everyone from Oiapoque in the extreme north to Chuí in the deep south. What more could you want from life?

Ecotour

This matches your love of nature

If you are keen on tourism in close contact with nature, you will only have one problem in Brazil: choosing. Firstly, because there is such an array of different geographical landscapes, vegetation and climates. Secondly, because there are attractions galore.

Five regions together make up a country the size of a continent dotted with myriad mountains, beaches, rivers, waterfalls, cataracts, dunes, cliffs, marshes, caves, wild forests, flowery meadows, hill ranges, tablelands, trails through untouched woodland, colourful, flora and fauna in profusion, ecological parks preserving rare species.

And each region offers a wide variety of ecotourism activities.

If you are in search of a more relaxing option, we have walks, riding, fresh and salt-water diving, boat trips or plain observation of nature.

If you prefer to get the adrenaline pumping, we can recommend cross-biking, rafting, abseiling, vertical techniques, off-road driving, canoeing, canyoning or hang-gliding.

For those with a taste for the extreme, an unbeatable offer is a spell in the Cipó Range with its caves and prehistoric rock drawings, the ideal venue for trekking, rappel, Tyrolese slides or kayaking.

But the options do not end there. For those thirsting for contemplation and peace of mind, we recommend a retreat to the diverse ecosystems preserved in our national parks where they can observe the profusion of animal and plant species to their heart's content. There is the enchantment of magnificent flowers, birdsong, the music of the southern right whales in Santa Catarina or of the humpback whales in the south of Bahia, the joyous flip of the spinning dolphins in Fernando de Noronha, the stunning chambers and galleries of caves cluttered with stalactites and stalagmites, floating down calm rivers. Exhausted? We have hardly got started.

Sun and Sand

More than 8.000km of beaches where the sun shines all year round
Welcome to paradise

Work your way up the coast: Joaquina, Camboriú, Ilha do Mel, Maresias, Guarujá, Ilhabela, Angra, Copacabana, Ipanema, Cabo Frio, Guarapari, Itaúnas, Porto Seguro, Itacaré, Salvador, Praia do Forte, Canoa Quebrada, Gunga, Francês, Maragogi, Porto de Galinhas, Fernando de Noronha, João Pessoa, Natal, Pipa and Jericoacoara, one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world according to the Washington Post. We could prattle on for hours about the beauty and variety of Brazil's beaches. The coastline beginning above the Equator stretches south for more than 8 thousand kilometres towards the Antarctic Polar Circle. Along this immense strand bathed by sparkling green and blue waters lies a picturesque procession of cliffs, dunes, rocky outcrops, coconut groves, coral reefs, natural pools, deserted or fashionable beaches, rough or calm seas.

And to make the most of all this beauty, the brazilian people have used their creativity to the full, dreaming up thousands of festivals, trips, sports, dives and attractions in and out of the water. Experience it for yourself. You'll see that the brazilian coastline is an irresistible invitation to celebrate life.