World Cup boosts tourism in lesser-known cities in Brazil
Thursday, 19 June 2014 00:00
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Cities often ignored by tourists in Brazil are now seeing plenty of visitors amid the ongoing 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Curitiba, one of the World Cup host cities, is about 600 kilometers away from the country’s capital Brasilia. In the past, few tourists would pay any sort of visit to Curitiba.
“Most of the people in the world only have one vision about Brazil. It is Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and now the people will have the opportunity to know Curitiba and all the places we have here,” said Leticia Tacla, a student in Curitiba.
Now, Curitiba is becoming a tourist hot spot thanks to the World Cup, and many believe that visits to the city will continue to rise.
“I am sure people will come back to our city after the World Cup. We are very hospitable, although we do not speak their languages. We can learn English, Chinese and other languages,” said Carla Quiteria, a quality control expert.
In Curitiba, beautiful parks and efficient transportation make the city a good reference for urban planning.
Jaime Lerner, an architect, an urban planner and the city’s mayor the early 1970s, drew the master plan for Curitiba, which is still largely been followed.
“There are some issues that make the difference, which is a good quality of life, good solutions on public transport and sustainability,” said Lerner.
Curitiba is not a magnet for foreign tourists yet, but those who end up there for the tournament will have plenty of ways to experience the city, he added.
