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 Brazil
Travel
News
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Operations
office in Rio: +55 21 2256 5657,
U.S. Toll-free: 1 (800) 747-4540
Canada Toll-free 1 (800) 747-4540
From other countries: +49 711 856 6972
Dear fellow Brazil traveler,
Brazilian
Summer just started! No wonder Rio de Janeiro's hotels
are full - upto 96% occupancy again, when at the same
time the Northern Hemisphere seems to be having a rather cold
time. ..
OUR
COUPONS: BY NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED OUR NEW CATALOGUE
WITH THE NEW $100 COUPONS IN IT.
REMEMBER
YOU CAN ALWAYS ORDER MORE COUPONS VIA E-MAIL !
Watch
for our new Pre-Tour On
the trail of the Incas in the next letter, for
all of you who want to see more of South America. This month:
1.
Brazilian Energy Crisis over! Brazilian economy still plowing
ahead!
2.
Summary: The last ten years, a lot got done, still more to
do!
3.
THE mini group special
4.
African Heritage tours
5.
Agricultural tours and other specialty tours to Brazil
6.
4starBrazil's specials
1.
Brazilian Energy Crisis over! Brazilian economy still plowing
ahead!
Sooner
then everybody had expected, the Energy Crisis was officially
declared to be over. Since most of Brazil's energy is hydroelectric,
last year's drought had hit the country especially hard. The
government tried to save 20% but the outcome was much better:
Savings of 23.5 % in the Northeast and even 25.3 % in the
industrial Southwest.
The
required saving over last year's consumption was reduced to
5% for January and February, which helps the tourism industry
more then anybody else: Air conditioning is back to the normal
level. Beginning March, consumption is being liberated.
Rain
is almost back to normal levels and the recently privatized
power generating companies have their new plants almost finished.
For
the country, the damage is compared to the economic situation
in the rest of the world, rather mild: Economic growth is
supposed to drop only to 2.5 % for 2001. Many other countries
would be envious.
Considering
the fact that not too long ago, Argentina and Brazil were
often thought of as if they were one country, it seems that
the international financial markets finally understand - as
the readers of this newsletter know for a long time :-) -
that Buenos Aires is not
the capital of Brazil.
Although
Argentina is in its worst crises in a century, the Brazilian
Real is strengthening against the US-Dollar. In September
1 US$ bought around R$ 2.80 - now a dollar buys only R$2.35
- still higher than one year ago, but it demonstrates the
confidence in Brazilian economic growth.
Not
too long ago, a crisis in Argentina would have meant that
Brazil's currency would have fallen dramatically as well -
the world is learning!
2.
Overview: The last ten years, much got done, still more to
do!
Over
the last ten year the average real income in Brazil grew by
41,8%, and grew faster, by 48,8%, in the traditionally poor
Northeast than in the rich Southeast, where it grew just 37%.
Additionally, income grew more in rural areas (52.6%) than
in the cities (34.9%). But Brazil remains, no doubt, one of
the countries with the highest income inequalities in the
world: Half of the heads of household still earn less then
350 Reais (approx. US$150) per month.
Ten
years ago, only 80.3% of Brazilians over 10 could read and
write. That has increased to 87.2%. In the Northeast, however,
about one in four still can not read.
The
percentage of households having access to tap water has risen
from 70.7% to 77.8%, households being integrated in a system
of waste collection is up from 63.8% to 79%. 62.2% of households
are now linked to a sewer system, 10 percentage points higher
then in 1991. But still 3.7 Million households do not have
any sanitary installation whatsoever.
3.
THE mini group special
Great
prices for a great destination: Brazil's state of Bahia!
20 % group discount, plus
bring 8, get one free*
It’s:
Great landscape, African heritage, UNESCO
cultural sites, baroque colonial architecture, unforgettable
beaches and unparalleled value for money.
Click on Brazil:
Rhythm & Diamonds
- additions to
Rio de Janeiro and / or the Amazon easily customized.
Target audience: Active people, also active mature
travelers with interest in culture and beautiful landscapes.
Very interesting for those interested in African heritage
in the Americas.
Minimum requirement: 8 pax, tour must be booked as
stated on website, customized additions are quoted net, travel
between now and 03 FEB, 01MAR and 30JUN, 01AUG and 15DEC2002,
high season prices vary, available upon request.
*land portion only, bring 15 and get flight from Miami also
free.
Similar
conditions are available for other tours - upon request!
4.
African Heritage tours
The
above tour Brazil:
Rhythm and Diamonds also is the perfect
African heritage tour. For your mini group we would be able
to put an emphasis on the slave trade during all sightings.
Brazil's state of Bahia has the longest history of slavery
on the American continent: 1500 to 1888, nowhere
in the Americas African culture is as alive as here,
with many traditions from Angola that still exist in Bahia,
but (due to protracted civil war) no longer exist in Africa
anymore.
Or
new traditions have been formed: A dance that in effect comes
from the training of self defense techniques: Capoeira, a
form of Catholicism that incorporates the African Gods, Virgin
Mary and Yemanjá... as an example.
But
even if you cannot bring a mini group of 8, just by joining
our regular tour, the riches of African culture never escape
your eye!
5.
Agricultural tours and other specialty tours to Brazil
Have
your itinerary partly or completely customized in order to
see what your group wants and not what the standard tours
let you see:
Enjoy
an Escorted Agricultural Group Tour
to Brazil including highlights such as Soybeans,
Coffee, Orange Sugar cane, Poultry, irrigation projects sustainable
agriculture under tropical conditions:
There
are two ways to customize an agricultural trip for your group:
One is to add in or to our standard tours a few days to meet
your groups requirements:
For
example: the Rio
and Amazon tour; add three nights in Brasilia
in the heart of the soybean farming area. During the
pre-Tour
Iguassu Falls & Serra do Mar mountains
or the Tango
Samba Waterfalls tour we can add ranches
and poultry farms and pass through the worlds biggest soybean
fields in the Brazilian state of Paraná.
Or
we can completely customize a tour for your group: you tell
us what your group needs to see and we arrange it for you,
in that case please call us toll free at 1 (800) 747-4540 (US)
or 1 (800) 747-4540 our specialists are in for you between 6am
and 3pm EST.
6.
So, last but not least
do
not forget to check our latest SPECIALS!
Now,
from all of us at 4starBrazil,
we
wish you all the best for 2002 and hope to see soon!
Kindest
regards,
Juergen
Keller, President
--
Juergen Keller
http://www.SouthAmerica.travel/Brazil-Tours
tel.1 (800) 747-4540
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