General Info

[QUOTE=Bravo;1358466]It would be very interesting to see a break down of the tourism dollars that are being spent in Copacabana since Help closed. I know that most of the apartments in Copa are rented by brasilians now instead of Americans and Europeans. But I am sure that the brasilians are not spending the same amount per head on the local economy, that the american tourists were spending. I wonder if the restaurants, bars, grocery stores, internet cafes and aparment rental agencies are making the same amount of money as they were before.[/QUOTE]Not long ago I had a conversation with one of the old time waiters from Meia Pataca and I asked him that same question. He told me those were the best days, business was real good when Help was open and the dollar was strong and girls came from all over Brasil to sell bucetta to Gringos with pockets full of dollars. Now he said business is not so good, the patrons today do not spend money like the Gringos did back in the day and the volume of patrons isn't there either.

Same goes for the touts across the street at the beach, they have been complaining for years and there's not many left of them either. Last trip for me in Brasil this past Oct I never even walked by that area because I knew it would be dead.

I spoke to some friends recently who were in Rio past few months and they told me they don't know if they'll ever go back because it was boring. I agreed, for all the years I have been going to Rio every trip I always said this was my best trip, this last trip I said it was my worst trip. I went to 2A2 on a Wednesday night it was closed because it had been slow because of off season, I then went Friday night and it was open but dead, I never had such a bad night there. In years past I had been there in July and the place was great so something is going on, sex business is off. I even met one couple there, the guy was all over my girl, when I went to his girl she told me if I want to fuck her I have to give her 100 reais at this point I left, never went back Saturday night. I did go to Henry club in Barra which was somewhat better.

Usually when I get back from Rio I am looking to make that next reservation right away because of the withdrawl symptoms some talk about here but as of now I have no plans of returning in 2013, most likely 2014 but that could change, I'm not giving up Rio yet.

[QUOTE=Prosal; 1358076]Nov 2012.

Second Pole Dance World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

And the winner is? Russian.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAvrMCat_6Q[/url]

She is rather average by Russian standarts.[/QUOTE]The world pole dance contest the summer before last in Bratislava was great fun. The night before the competition opened was the real party, better than the main event. You ought to try to make one of these and see for yourself first hand,

[QUOTE=Bravo;1358466]It would be very interesting to see a break down of the tourism dollars that are being spent in Copacabana since Help closed. I know that most of the apartments in Copa are rented by brasilians now instead of Americans and Europeans. But I am sure that the brasilians are not spending the same amount per head on the local economy, that the american tourists were spending. I wonder if the restaurants, bars, grocery stores, internet cafes and aparment rental agencies are making the same amount of money as they were before.[/QUOTE]According to the most reliable business sources, the Brasilian tourism industry is booming.

The dramatic rise of domestic tourism, which has more than doubled since 2004 according to the Ministry of Tourism, is one of the clearest effects of Brazil's booming economy. This rapid rise as a direct result of a growing middle class. 'Brazilians have money now, there's no doubt about that. '

According to SindRio (Union of Hotels, Bars and Restaurants in Rio) , the current average occupancy in Zona Sul is expected to reach 98 percent. Currently. 68 percent of reservations are domestic tourists, while 32 percent are international.

Foreign tourism is also strong despite a weakened dollar and global financial crisis. Flávio Dino, president of Embratur, explained 'Brazil welcomed more than 5. 4 million tourists into the country, resulting in US$6. 4 billion in foreign exchange inflows, marking 2011 the best year yet. '

Brasil registered 79, 049, 171 domestic airport arrivals 2011, an increase of 15. 8% from 2010. There were also 9, 005, 165 international arrivals, up 13. 95% from the previous year. These figures are the highest since Embratur, an entity of the Ministry of Tourism, began collecting data in 2000. The number of foreign tourists rose from 5. 2 million in 2010 to 5. 4 million in 2011.

Carleson Wagonlit (CWT) expects the average daily hotel rate in Brazil to climb by between 13. 3 and 14. 8 percent year-over-year for the first half of 2013, and between 13. 1 and 14. 5 percent in the second half of the year. Per-attendee, per-day spending increases for Latin America meetings next year are expected to be the highest in the world, reports CWT, with the cost shooting up by 9. 8 to 12. 2 percent.

According to Advito, the consulting arm of BCD Travel, Brazil's year-end 2012 average daily rates are expected to exceed last year's by approximately 23 to 25 percent.

Lodging Econometrics' Fall 2012 Latin America Lodging Real Estate Trends states that Brasil has the fourth largest development pipeline in the world, notes the report, it represents 45 percent of all development activity in Latin America. Accor Hotels, the Windsor Group, the Copacabana Palace and the Gloria Hotel are all renovating and adding hundreds of rooms in Zona Sul.

Maybe these folks haven't talked to the waiters at MP.

[QUOTE=Poucolouco; 1358718]According to the most reliable business sources, the Brasilian tourism industry is booming.

Maybe these folks haven't talked to the waiters at MP.[/QUOTE]It seems like the country of brasil is doing well, but I was asking more about Copacabana itself. I wanted to know how the people who relied on gringos to make a living, were doing now that the number of mongers has decreased. Apartment agencys, restaurants (not just MP, but places all up and down Atlantico) , internet cafes, etc. Have the Brasilian tourists made up for the lack of American tourists?

I remember seeing a report on CNN and they said that Brasilian tourists spend the most money on average than any other tourists in the world. The average brasilian spends 5-6 thousand dollars per trip. I wonder how much the braislians spend when they go to Copa and Ipanema for their vacations.

Sangue Bon, I know what you mean about not enjoying Rio anymore. My last trip, I was so bored and fustrated that I actually thought about cutting my vacation in half and leaving 6 days earlier. I have NEVER felt that way about Rio before. I am usually on my laptop planning a return trip before I have even left. The only thing that saved my trip was that I decided I needed to start using my black book and hang out with the regular girls and forget the GDPS. I had a great time for the remainder of my trip but it cost me a fortune! Hanging with regular girls can easily cost 3-4 times more than the cost of paying for a prostitute. I was spending anywhere from 5-700 reais a night and there was no gurantee of getting any pussy at the end of the night.

The tourism in Brazil is growing. Most growing is the national tourism, but also the foreign tourism has grown (last year 5,3%)
The majority, 48,4% of the foreign tourists are from South-America, 30% are Europeans and 10,9% from the US.

The average tourist spent:
Europeans US$ 1753
Americans (US) US$ 1587
South-American US$ 659

The big spenders are the Swiss, US$ 2015, followed by the Italians, US$ 2008.
[url]http://www.turismo.gov.br/turismo/noticias/todas_noticias/20121017-2.html[/url]

I don't know about the sex tourism, but it has propably fallen. That's good. Otherwise the bunda-price would have increased even more.
The sex tourists who go to brazil only makes out a tiny fraction of all the foreign tourism.

[QUOTE=Sperto; 1358901]The tourism in Brazil is growing. Most growing is the national tourism, but also the foreign tourism has grown (last year 5, 3%)

The majority. 48, 4% of the foreign tourists are from South-America. 30% are Europeans and 10, 9% from the US.

The average tourist spent:

Europeans US$ 1753.

Americans (US) US$ 1587.

South-American US$ 659.

The big spenders are the Swiss, US$ 2015, followed by the Italians, US$ 2008.

[url]http://www.turismo.gov.br/turismo/noticias/todas_noticias/20121017-2.html[/url]

I don't know about the sex tourism, but it has propably fallen. That's good. Otherwise the bunda-price would have increased even more.

The sex tourists who go to brazil only makes out a tiny fraction of all the foreign tourism.[/QUOTE]Americans only spend 1600 dollars on average? Wow! That is cheap! I think I remember reading that brasilians on average, are the highest spending tourists in America. They spend an average of 5 thousand dollars a person when they vacation in the states.

[QUOTE=Bravo;1358984]Americans only spend 1600 dollars on average? Wow! That is cheap! I think I remember reading that brasilians on average, are the highest spending tourists in America. They spend an average of 5 thousand dollars a person when they vacation in the states.[/QUOTE]At Jersey Gardens and Macy's Herald Square, they're spending. Brazilian shopping tour groups swarming these places, travelling to get what they can't get at home and willing to spend for it.

Don't forget, Brazilians spend a lot when they travel outside Brasil because the cost of buying goods to take home is so much cheaper. That's probably a lot of the "spending" that Brazilian tourists do outside of Brasil.

In-country tourism (brasilians traveling to RJ) is probably not near the levels of spend. There are a lot of 2nd-tier hotels near my apartment in Copa that are always full of Brasilians. Vs. The Copacabana Palaces or Fasanos, which probably are still gringo-centric. And certainly brasilians traveling to RJ are not spending the kind of coin at places like Meia Pataca that cash-flush gringos were back in the day.

Honestly, though, my sense is that most of the hottest girls have "followed the money" and gone to SP. We were in Scandallo the other night and it was PACKED with girls. Sure they were mainly 6s / 7s at best, but there were a few hotties. Or alternatively they have "followed the money" and gone into some sort of actual business. I know 2 forma Termas girls who have taken that route. One works for minimum wage in a fashion store, and the other opened her own small salon near Bangu. The economy booming has allowed such things (though it is starting to slow down).

In RJ, there seems to be a distinct lack of really cute, new, young girls entering the biz. I attribute it to the 2 factors above, more than the decline of local "sex tourism."

[QUOTE=Eric Cartman; 1359081]Don't forget, Brazilians spend a lot when they travel outside Brasil because the cost of buying goods to take home is so much cheaper. That's probably a lot of the "spending" that Brazilian tourists do outside of Brasil.

"[/QUOTE]I remember a girl showing me a chart on the costs or purchasing an IPAD in the states versus buying it in Brasil.

It was actually cheaper for her to buy 1 plane ticket from Rio to NY. Pay for two night in a hotel and purchase the IPAD. Than it was for her to buy the IPAD in brasil!

I think the cost of flying to ny, staying for the weekend and buying the IPAD was 130Reais cheaper than if she had just bought it in Brasil. That is fucking crazy!

[QUOTE=Bravo; 1359089]I remember a girl showing me a chart on the costs or purchasing an IPAD in the states versus buying it in Brasil.

It was actually cheaper for her to buy 1 plane ticket from Rio to NY. Pay for two night in a hotel and purchase the IPAD. Than it was for her to buy the IPAD in brasil!

I think the cost of flying to ny, staying for the weekend and buying the IPAD was 130Reais cheaper than if she had just bought it in Brasil. That is fucking crazy![/QUOTE]R$ 1. 599, 00 at Amercanas. Com $399 at Walmart. That leaves $370 for that excursion to NY.

[url]http://www.americanas.com.br/produto/111317238/ipad-2-16gb-preto-wi-fi-e-3g-apple[/url]

[QUOTE=Poucolouco; 1359097]R$ 1. 599, 00 at Amercanas. Com $399 at Walmart. That leaves $370 for that excursion to NY.

[url]http://www.americanas.com.br/produto/111317238/ipad-2-16gb-preto-wi-fi-e-3g-apple[/url][/QUOTE]About a year to 18 months ago when they first came out, they were like R$2400+ each and the R$ was in the USD$1. 7 range. That's when the chart he's talking about was making the rounds here. Price has come down a lot with time and of course the R$ has lost value relative to the dollar (got R$2. 0895 today buying dollars).

[QUOTE=Eric Cartman;1359104]About a year to 18 months ago when they first came out, they were like R$2400+ each and the R$ was in the USD$1. 7 range. That's when the chart he's talking about was making the rounds here. Price has come down a lot with time and of course the R$ has lost value relative to the dollar (got R$2. 0895 today buying dollars).[/QUOTE]

Thank you Eric. I guess in order to make a post, I would have to post up the evidence or else face criticism. (When they first came out, I had a doctor who was willing to pay me a little more than 1700 dollars to bring one down for him.)

[QUOTE=Prosal;1357821]Don't know why you bother to answer to Auriflama. Check his post history. In three years this guy has only managed to fill three pages of questions about Sao Paulo. He will never go there.[/QUOTE]I don't know why your even on a brazil forum all you do you disrespect everything about brazil and their people. Go to the euro forum crybaby.

Just finished watching Bourdain in this episode of The Layover in Sao Paolo. Gives you a good feel for the city. Seems manageable if you know what part of the city holds what you want to get into:

[url]http://www.allshowsdaily.com/2012/12/the-layover-season-2-episode-4-sao-paulo.html[/url]

What's up guys? I haven't seen anyone post this yet, but I am in town for a few days working the Stevie Wonder concerts we have two shows this week on Sunday Dec 23 at Imperator Centro Cultural Joao Nogueira and on Dec 25th Christmas day in front of Copacabana Palace at 10:00PM Giberto Gil is due to hit the stage at 8:00pm, get there early there should be over a million people at the show on the beach the crew been hard at work building the stage already.

On a side note I was just here early this month for the Madonna concert I been very busy BUT I will try to do some mongering before I head back to the States this time..lol

Merry Christmas everyone peace.

Kid Cisco