LACIME 2004 expected to assemble three thousand visitors

What would a tourist rather get to know in Rio? The beaches? The statue of Christ? The Sugar Loaf? Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon? Tijuca Forest? Maracanã? Carnival? The New Year’s Eve celebrations? Besides these attractions, the visitor will find a city that is pure magic and, more importantly, inhabited by joyful and hospitable people. These many attractions will be presented for Rio by Secretaria Especial de Turismo/Riotur, Riocentro and Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau at the first edition of the Latin American and Caribbean Incentive Tourism, Events and Business Exhibition (Exposição de Turismo de Incentivo, Eventos e Negócios da América Latina e do Caribe), LACIME 2004, on June 23 to 25 in São Paulo.

From the point of view of attractions and incentives, Rio’s stand at LACIME must not be missed. The Wonderful City leads easily the ranking of most visited cities in the country. In 2003 it received 1.5 million foreign tourists (i.e. 37% of all foreign tourists that came to Brazil). Rio’s position is due to its traditional tourist landmarks, hospitable residents, infrastructure and all sorts of leisure options. Furthermore, it was the Brazilian city that housed the greatest number of international events in 2003 – 30 of them. In Brazil as a whole 62 such events took place, which puts the country among the Top 20 of ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association), up to the 18th position from the 21st it held before. In 2004 it is expected to do even better: 44 major international events are already on the agenda.

Incentive Tourism in Brazil and in the World

The Tourism Industry has become an essential element in the country’s economic development. And Incentive Tourism is an important branch of that industry. Rio de Janeiro alone receives annually approximately 50 thousand incentive tourists, according to statistics compiled by technicians working for firms such as GB International.

Abroad the picture is even more comprehensive. The United States lead the market of Incentive Tourism with 6.5 million Americans traveling overseas every year on such journeys, to the amount of approximately US$ 20 billion. A pioneering and major event of the segment is the IT & ME Show (IncentiveTravel and Meeting Executives Show). Europe, Oceania and Asia also set in motion and increment annually the International Industry of Incentive Tourism. On these continents take place the largest and most important events and fairs of the segment such as EIBTM (European Incentive, Business Travel and Meeting Exhibition), AIME (Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo) and ABTM (Asia Business Travel Market). Together they represent the strength of incentive tourism in the world: two thousand firms, previously qualified through an evaluation of their profiles, at the exhibitions attended by over 10 thousand visitors.

Launched in September 2003 in São Paulo, LACIME 2004 - Latin American and Caribbean Incentive Tourism, Events and Business Exhibition - will receive approximately three thousand visitors from the Americas and Europe. The event is organized by Reed Exhibitions Brasil, of the conglomerate Reed Elsevier (which makes 6.4 billion Euros a year), in partnership with ABAV Nacional, responsible for 80% of the national market.

Press Relations Office:

Name of PR firm: Riotur

Account manager: Gracie Croce

Telephone no.: 21 2217 7615

E-mail address: ascom.riotur@pcrj.rj.gov.br

Site: www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br

Further information LACIME 2004: