Rio De Janeiro News

Rio 2016: Hotels see sharp upturn in revenue during Olympics
Rio de Janeiro’s hotel industry saw a substantially larger impact as host of the 2016 Olympics than London in 2012 and Beijing in 2008, according to data from STR. During the month of August, Rio de Janeiro hotels posted a 199.2 per cent surge in average daily rate to BRL1,250.

AccorHotels welcomes Hotel Santa Teresa Rio de Janeiro to portfolio
AccorHotels has opened Hotel Santa Teresa Rio de Janeiro by MGallery by Sofitel in the heart of the bohemian Santa Teresa district of Rio de Janeiro, the group’s first MGallery by Sofitel property in the country. Embodying the carefree spirit of the region so cherished by the local ‘Cariocas’, Hotel Santa Teresa’s 44 rooms and suites are exotically designed with features sourced from local Brazilian artists.

Rio welcomes first Light Rail trains ahead of 2016 Olympic Games
The first train for Rio’s new Light Rail system has just arrived in Rio for testing, as part of Brazil’s investment in public infrastructure ahead of the 2016 Olympics. With over 480,000 tourists predicted to descend on Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic & Paralympic Games next summer, the Light Rail will carry approximately 285,000 tourists every day, easing the pressure on the city’s other transport systems.

Breaking Travel News interview: Embratur director of international markets, Marcelo Pedroso
With Rio de Janeiro taking over from London as the official Olympic Host City ahead of the 2016 Games and preparations well underway for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil is set to be at the forefront of international tourism over the next few years. Here Breaking Travel News sits down with Embratur director of international markets, Marcelo Pedroso, to see how the destination is planning to utilise this unique double header to boost its position on the world stage.

Coe thanks British volunteers as Olympic Flame moves to Brazil
London 2012 chairman Seb Coe has thanked the hundreds of thousands of people who helped to make the 16 days of the Olympic Games a success during a stunning ceremonial finale. Speaking during the Closing Ceremony of the event in the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, he said: “The British people got behind London’s bid and they got behind London’s Games.”

All eyes on Rio as the flag hands over
2013 is the year to dance in the sand in Rio de Janeiro. The world’s attention will turn to the Brazilian city as the Summer Olympics is handed over on Sunday and it gears up to host the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Rio de Janeiro brings splash of colour to London 2012 Olympics
Rio de Janeiro is promoting itself in restaurants and bars across the UK as the next host city of the Summer Olympics and the World Cup. The Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau and Las Iguanas, already established as the leading collection of Latin American restaurants in the UK, has brought the taste and spirit of Rio de Janeiro to Britain to brighten up the London Olympics and the summer of 2102.

Breaking Travel News Interview: Embratur director of products & destinations, Marco Lomanto
The next five years are set to belong to Brazil; with Rio de Janeiro set to host the Olympic Games in 2014 and the country as a whole gearing up to welcome the FIFA World Cup in 2016. However, corruption allegations at the national tourism ministry and question marks over construction programmes have left some wondering whether the country is up to the challenge. BTN here sits down with Embratur director of products & destinations, Marco Lomanto, to see where the country stands.

Rio de Janeiro on the brink of sporting greatness
With preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics progressing to plan, Rio de Janeiro is a city riding the crest of a Sport Tourism wave. BTN looks at why the“Cidade Maravilhosa” has become the most popular tourist attraction in the southern hemisphere.

Tourists visiting Rio reach highest level in five years
The number of international tourists visiting Rio de Janeiro increased by 8% in 2010 compared with the previous year, according to a study conducted by Embratur, the Brazilian Tourism Board. The city received 1.61 million foreign visitors last year, compared with 1.49 million in 2009, an increase of 120,000 people and the highest level of international tourists in the last five years.

Rio Olympics signs first domestic sponsor
The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio has signed up its first domestic sponsor. Bradesco, Brazil’s second-largest bank, has agreed to pay at least $320m, the minimum sum set by the games’ organising committee for the finance and insurance services categories.

City of God - could Rio’s latest mafia war end its dream of Olympic and World Cup glory?
With hosting rights to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Brazilian tourism has never had it so good. But this week’s gang battles in Rio have highlighted its toughest challenge – safety, and whether the city’s image of beautiful beaches and non-stop parties will be overshadowed by favela violence.