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Part 2 World Cup 2014 – The Cities that are hosting the games

February 25, 2011 By admin

So here is a brief guide as to what to expect from 6 of the other cities that will have the excitement and honour of being a host during the next World Cup:

Natal
Stadium:  Arena das Dunas
Planned capacity:  45,000
Information:  The north eastern city of Natal (which actually translates as ‘Christmas’) is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte and has been declared the safest state capital in Brazil – certainly reassuring for the crowds heading to the area during the World Cup!  It is home to the Augusto Severo International Airport, which operates domestic and some international flights.
UK travellers may be pleased to hear that Natal’s nickname is ‘City of the Sun’ and people seeking World Cup accommodation in the area might be tempted by the idyllic beach location and tropical climate.

Porto Alegre
Stadium:  Estádio Beira-Rio
Planned capacity:  62,000
Information:  Another hugely important economic and cultural centres of Brazil, Porto Alegre is the capital city of the county’s most southern state, Rio Grande do Sul.  Its name means ‘Happy Harbour’ and it has developed into a wealthy, prosperous area, after welcoming in settlers from all over the world, particularly Europe.  The city is famous for its huge lagoon, Lagoa dos Patos (Lagoon of the Ducks), where five rivers meet.  The area has one of the highest standards of living and education in the whole country and is famed for its nightlife – it is sure to be a popular destination during the World Cup.

Recife
Stadium:  Cidade da Copa
Planned capacity:  46,160
Information:  Nicknamed ‘The Brazilian Venice’, due to the numerous rivers, bridges and islands found in the centre of the city, Recife is the state capital of Pernambuco.  It is a major Atlantic Ocean port (Recife is Portuguese for ‘reef’) located in the north east of the country.
Recife is becoming a hub for tourists, unsurprisingly perhaps, as its celebrated Porto de Galinhas beach has been awarded the title of ‘Best Beach in Brazil’ several times.  In addition, people coming to the area as part of a sports travel package will find the area well connected, with the Guararapes International Airport, as well good sea and metro links.

Rio de Janeiro
Stadium:  Maracanã
Planned capacity:  76,525
Information:   It is likely that Rio de Janeiro (often known simply as ‘Rio’) will be the centre of World Cup action, as this is the city that will see the final match played out and one team triumphantly claiming the World Cup as theirs.  The city of Rio de Janeiro (which translates as ‘River of January’) is the 26th largest city in the world and will also have the honour of hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, making it the perfect location for those interested in sports event travel.  Famed for its sporting events, Rio is also the host of the World Beach Volleyball finals and the Brazilian Grand Prix, among others.
Clearly, the world’s eyes will be on Rio come summer 2014 and there is a huge regeneration planned for the city, to cope with this influx of visitors, including major work on the Maracanã stadium itself.  A new cover is to be built, as well as an additional 3,500 parking spaces created.  There will also be facilities for those spectators with disabilities.  It is hoped that the redevelopment of the area will extend into nearby neighbourhoods.
It is predicted that those heading to the country seeking World Cup accommodation are likely to flock to Rio to soak up the party atmosphere, outstanding hospitality and excellent facilities, as well as the football. 

Salvador
Stadium:  Bahia Arena
Planned capacity:  55,000
Information:   Salvador is famed for its large street carnivals, outdoor parties and laidback lifestyle; no wonder, therefore, it has picked up the nickname ‘Brazil’s capital of happiness’.  Its name, translated, means ‘Holy Saviour of All Saints’ Bay’ and it is located on the northeast coast of the country.  Tourists can expect excellent food and hospitality during their stay in the city, which is well connected with the Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport operating domestic and some international flights, making it a perfect stop when organising a World Cup tour.

São Paulo
Stadium:  New Corinthians Stadium
Planned capacity:  48,000
Information:  As with many Brazilian cities, São Paulo is named in honour of one of the Catholic Saints, in this case, St Paul.  It is the largest city in Brazil and is the capital of the most heavily populated state, also called São Paulo.
Being central to the Brazilian sports event travel and tourism industry, visitors to São Paula during the 2014 World Cup should expect the highest standards of hospitality and facilities.  It has two main airports (for international flights, the São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport and the Congonhas-São Paulo Airport for domestic ones) and is also well served by major road, rail and bus networks, although over-crowding has led to congestion problems on the roads.
Crime (particularly violent crime) has also traditionally been a problem in São Paula, but this has significantly improved in recent years and there is to be heavy financial investment in the area prior to the 2014 competition.

Filed Under: Foreign Sport Events, Sports Travel Tagged With: , ,

Part 1 World Cup 2014 – The Cities that are hosting the games

February 19, 2011 By admin

So here is a brief guide as to what to expect from 6 of the cities that will have the excitement and honour of being a host during the next World Cup:

Belo Horizonte
Stadium:  Mineirão
Planned capacity:  69,950
Information:  Translated literally as ‘Beautiful Horizon’, Belo Horizonte is state capital of Minas Gerais and is the third largest metropolis in the country.  Located in the southeast of the country, Belo Horizonte is also known as ‘Beagá’, ‘Belô’, or ‘BH’ (the Portuguese pronunciation, of course!) and was first settled in back in the early 1700s.  The city is comprised of a pleasant mix of both classical and modern architecture and has seen heavy investment in urban regeneration and food programmes, which have won international plaudits.Belo Horizonte is constructed atop several sizable hills and is surrounded entirely by mountains.  There are several large parks and a nature reserve in the vicinity, so fans of wildlife and the outdoors will not be short on activities if a break from the football is needed!

Brasília
Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Brasília
Planned capacity:  71,500
Information:  This city has the honour of being the capital of Brazil.  It is the fourth largest city in the country and is located in the Central-West region.   Viewed from above, the city is designed to resemble an aeroplane, or butterfly, thanks to the redevelopment it underwent in 1956.  It is also home to one of Brazil’s primary airports, which will certainly help those travelling for the World Cup.

Cuiabá
Stadium:  Arena Pantanal
Planned capacity:  42,500
Information:  Located in central South America, Cuiabá (reported to mean ‘arrow-fishing’) is Mato Grosso’s state capital.  It is home to the new Marechal Rondon International Airport, which is perfect for domestic and some international flights.

Curitiba
Stadium:  Arena da Baixada
Planned capacity: 41,375
Information:  Recently awarded the title of ‘Best Place To Live In Brazil’ by Reader’s Digest, Curitiba is the state capital of Paraná and is regarded is one of the most significant economic as well as cultural areas in the country.  It located approximately 65 miles outside of the port of Paranaguá and has two airports, making it perfect for sports travel.

Fortaleza
Stadium:  Castelão
Planned capacity:  66,700
Information:  Located in North-eastern Brazil, Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará.  It is the fifth largest Brazilian city, with a population of over 2.5 million.  The Atlantic Ocean is to the north of the city and the area is known for its regional seafood.
Tourists arriving for the World Cup should be aware that although there is an airport (Fortaleza International Airport) the road traffic in the area has become increasing problematic and traffic jams are common, as well as accidents due to the many potholes.

Manaus
Stadium: Arena da Amazônia
Planned capacity: 50,000
Information:  Known as ‘mother of the gods’, Manaus is located in northern Brazil and is the state capital of Amazonas.  Unsurprisingly, it is located on the Amazon River, at the point it joins with the river Negro.  In recent years, Manaus has become popular with eco-tourists due to its location next to the Amazon rainforest.  This has helped to transform the port area of the city into a bustling cosmopolitan area.  With its plentiful wildlife and boat trips into the jungle, it is perhaps not the most obvious choice for sports event travel, but with the arrival of the World Cup, this may soon change.

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Spotlight on The 2014 World Cup

February 14, 2011 By admin

For many, the football is almost secondary to the World Cup, as it seen as the opportunity to get away from the stresses and strains of ordinary life and build in a summer break, regardless of whether or not you can get your hands on a coveted match ticket.

Thousands of people will be descending on the host cities during summer 2014, largely to soak up the party atmosphere and enjoy the tumultuous ride, as each country competes for glory.  It has been estimated that to get the stadiums ready for action, Brazil will have to invest at least £550 million.  Additionally, millions more is expected to be spent on general improvements to transport and infrastructure across the nation.  A £4.1 billion high-speed rail network is being developed as a direct result of the successful World Cup bid, but delays have meant that this project is now not expected to be completed until 2016.

With an expected 500,000 World Cup travellers expected to make the trip to Brazil in 2014 and each one taking an average of 6-14 flights each as they follow the action from stadium to stadium, the country is also beginning a £2 billion airport upgrade programme, focusing primarily on São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro airports.  This is to maximise the comfort and ease for passengers, as well as putting Brazil at the forefront of sports travel tourism.

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Accommodation options for the World Cup

February 10, 2011 By admin

Brazil is famed for its football and with 2014 being the 20th World Cup, you can sure that it is going to be an event not to be missed.  But what are options for people wanting to make the journey over to South America for the tournament?

Well firstly, become acquainted with the host cities – usually there are only 8-10, but because of the sheer size of the country FIFA made an exception for this tournament, allowing 12.  At a meeting in Nassau in May 2009, the FIFA Executive Committee confirmed that the host cities would be Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo.  The Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host the final match and there are already plans underway to completely renovate the stadium, allowing for a massive 90,000 football fans to experience the tension and exhilaration of a World Cup final.

Secondly, be prepared to pay.  It’s a fact that even if you cannot get your hands on a match ticket (and remember, we don’t even know who will be participating yet!) you can still have a great time simply soaking up the World Cup atmosphere, but so will the thousands of other revellers and football supporters who trek across the world.  Knowing this, hotels, guesthouses and hostels will be booked up months in advance and hiking up their costs accordingly, knowing that people will be prepared to splash out on accommodation even vaguely near to the stadiums.

There are numerous companies offering sports event travel packages, but be sure to read the small print very carefully, so you know exactly how much, and for what, you are paying for.  For example, some may include flights, accommodation and match tickets, whilst others may just be hotel costs.  Check if your package includes transport to and from stadiums, or if you have to pay an extra supplement for this.  Bear in mind that if you are several miles away from a stadium and have to order a taxi, chances are so will several thousand other spectators.  You don’t want to be sat anxiously waiting for your driver to show when the starting whistle blows. 

Another option is house-swapping/private renting.  This is a growing phenomenon, where people who live in houses close to stadiums transform their abodes into ‘world cup accommodation’, which essentially means renting out their house at an extortionate rate.  A somewhat less upfront, but potentially cheaper (and definitely cheekier!), way of guaranteeing a place to stay during the World Cup is to befriend a Brazilian and arrange your visit to coincide with one of the largest sporting events in the world, in the hope of landing a sofa to crash on.  Mercenary, or necessary?  We’ll let you be the judge of that… 

As it happens, most hotels and tour operators are not yet taking bookings to the host cities over the World Cup period.  They are also highly unlikely to offer money off discounts, simply because with the area being in such high demand during this time they can guarantee being fully booked, even at increased prices.

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World Cup 2014: Brazil

February 4, 2011 By admin

June and July 2014 will see Brazil hosting the World Cup for the second time in the event’s history and will offer the perfect opportunity for football fans the world over to experience the celebrated hospitality that the country has to offer. 

Although being the host country is always a special honour, being the 20th FIFA World Cup, this tournament is expected to be especially significant.  There is also likely to be a greater level of media scrutiny of the event, given the controversy that dogged the announcement of the 2018 and 2022 host countries (Russia and Qatar, respectively), which could put extra pressure on the home nation.  It is also the first time since 1978 that the tournament has been held in South America, so visitors can be assured that Brazil will want to set the bar high.

Brazil is a relative old-hand at the hosting lark, having played host back in 1950, making it just the fifth country to have hosted twice, along with Germany, Mexico, France and Italy.  This is perhaps good news for those who are planning to travel to the country for the football, but perhaps even better for those who are not interested in the games, but want the opportunity to take a decent foreign holiday whilst their partners take in the sport.

Certainly, there will be many households where sports event travel is commonplace and seemingly every holiday must tie in with one event or another, be it football, cricket, or golf.  It therefore must be something of a relief for the non-football fans in the family to know that at least you are likely to get a bit of decent weather.  After all, come 2018 you may not be so lucky! 

Some football fans have been planning their break to Brazil since the announcement was made back in October 2007 (although it came as little surprise, as it was the only one of the eligible countries to enter a bid).  Occurring every four years, for many, the World Cup is an event that simply cannot be missed and with thousands of people flocking to the host cities during the competition, it is important to be well organised, especially regarding accommodation and travel plans.  Despite not even knowing which countries will qualify yet (the draw will be held at the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro, in summer 2011) people from all over the world will inevitably want to join in the celebrations and excitement of this huge event.

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