Rio de Janeiro's famously festive citizens weren't the only ones celebrating their historic winning bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Travel industry pros north of the equator likewise cheered the city's surprise selection, the first for a South American nation, as a turning point in Brazil's evolution as a global tourist destination.
And just as importantly, they said, Rio's Olympic coup will jump-start important infrastructure improvements that will be felt by international visitors long before the Olympic torch is lit.
"We are thrilled [with Rio's selection]," said Adam Carter, owner of Naples, Fla.-based tour operator Brazil Nuts and president of the Brazil Tour Operators Association. "It's time."
Carter, whose BTOA represents two dozen operators in North America as well as allied hotels, airlines and Brazilian states, argued that South America's largest economy was the logical choice to host the Games.
"Economically, it's giant and it's dominating," he said.
But despite Brazil's reputation as a superpower-in-waiting, the colorful and boisterous nation seemed an unlikely pick for the International Olympic Committee, known for going with safe -- some might say boring -- choices.
"It would've been so easy for them to go with the vanilla option," said Carter, referring to a heavy favorite in the race, Chicago. "But they didn't. They had a lot of guts to go with [Rio]."
And that audacious choice is likely to benefit visitors to Brazil long before the Games arrive in 2016, tourism officials said.
"New hotels are being built, trees are being planted," said Miguel Jeronimo, who directs the North American East Coast office of Brazil's tourism promotion arm, Embratur.
Jeronimo pointed to plans to renovate Rio de Janeiro's Galeao Airport (with the aim of handling 25 million passengers a year) as well as a $280 million port renovation project that would further spur the city's growing cruise industry.
And while a number of these infrastructure projects were under way before officials learned of Rio's Olympic triumph (or of Brazil's selection as host of the 2014 World Cup, for that matter), the IOC's announcement has given those efforts valuable energy, said Carter.
"Rio is a good product to begin with; it just needs some work. This is going to be the impetus that was needed."
Chief among those areas in need of improvement, said analysts, is Rio's hotel capacity, which must more than double -- from about 22,000 to more than 48,000 rooms -- to meet IOC requirements.
"Hotels are job No. 1," said Carter. "Now that we've been awarded the Olympics, these things must and will change."
Perhaps more challenging than building hotels, however, will be efforts to address systemic violence in the city's shantytowns. The downing of a police helicopter in a gang-related incident last month garnered international headlines.
"These issues are a concern right now," said Jeronimo, who nonetheless likened crime in Rio to that in some U.S. cities. "I can tell you that they are being addressed. There is a promise of $55 million in new funding for Rio's police."
Added Carter, "As traumatic as these events in Rio were, the good news is that more resources will be applied quicker to address the problems that everyone knows need to be solved."
Operators offer incentives
Despite such potential public-relations setbacks, operators are wasting no time in leveraging what they say is a strong surge in interest in Brazil.
Early next year, for example, BTOA members will relaunch Brazil Now, a 10% commissionable, packaged program at a moderate price point (starting at about $500 per person, double occupancy, including hotel, transfers and airfare).
"The Brazil Now package will make Rio affordable, easy to sell and profitable to sell," said Carter.
BTOA tour operators will also offer a VIP Pass of customer coupons and offers intended to offset the $130 cost of a tourist visa to Brazil as well as a large number of familiarization trips for travel agents.
Visit www.braziltouroperators.com, www.brazilnuts.com and www.embratur.gov.br for more information.