RIO ROCKS

An Extra Day of Rock in Rio Added

July 19, 2011 | Filed underEntertainment | Posted by Patricia Maresch

By Patricia Maresch, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The organizers of Rock in Rio 2011 recently announced the line-up for the festival’s extra day, Thursday, September 29th. The additional day features the legendary Stevie Wonder, and the British acts Jamiroquai and Joss Stone – who will perform solo. Also the American urban artist Janelle Monáe, whose 2010 Grammy nomination song “Tightrope” will be on the ticket.

Stevie Wonder will perform on Rock in Rio's extra festival day, photo by cliff1066/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

The tickets for the first two weekends went on sale on May 7th and all 600,000 were sold out within four days, leaving scores of fans disappointed.

The decision to have an extra day was announced mid-June in response to a request from Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes and the high volume of fans who were asking for tickets on Twitter and Facebook. It’s the first time in the 26 years of Rock in Rio’s existence that the organization decided to add a day to the festival.

Perhaps the biggest name on the new day is Stevie Wonder, a music icon who has sold over a 100 million records and won 25 Grammy Awards. He scored hits with “Isn’t She Lovely” and “Superstition.” Wonder has worked with artists like Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Prince and is said to be a major influence on artists who are performing at Rock in Rio as well, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alicia Keys.

“The line up for the extra day is fantastic, perhaps even the best of all,” says Dutch cultural exchange consultant Marlies van Exter, who has lived in Rio for eight years. “Finally, with festivals like this we see some great acts performing in Rio.”

Janelle Monáe will perform at Rock in Rio on September 29th, 2011, photo by Joe Mabel/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

There are now some 200 confirmed performances of international and Brazilian artists. They will perform on four stages: World Stage, Sunset Stage, Electronic Stage and Rock Street.

Besides a run on tickets, there is also a high demand in hotels and hostels. Riotur (Rio’s Secretary of Tourism) expects that 315,000 tourists will attend the festival, which – according to the Brazilian Association of Hotels – will probably lead to a record hotel occupancy rate of 98 percent. Many Cariocas are considering offering lodging to outside visitors through sites such as Couchsurfing.

A Riotur study predicts that ten percent of the visitors will be foreign, 35 percent Brazilian tourists and 55 percent from Rio. Spending by tourists is estimated at R$365 million (US$233 million).

Following early indications of the events success, Roberta Medina, vice president of the festival, has already announced that there will be another edition of the festival in Barra da Tijuca in 2013.

The first Rock in Rio was held in January 1985, and by drawing 1.4 million people it is believed to be the largest rock festival in the world. The next editions were in 1991 and 2001, before the festival went overseas, with Rock in Rio concerts held in Lisbon and Madrid.

This year Rock in Rio takes place on September 23rd, 24th, 25th, 29th, and 30th, and on the 1st and 2nd of October at the Parque Olímpico Cidade do Rock in Barra da Tijuca. Among the headline acts: Guns N Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Metallica, Elton John, Jay-Z, Lenny Kravitz, Shakira, Rihanna, Ivete Sangalo and Snow Patrol.

Official ticket sales for the extra day starts one minute after midnight on July 23rd, online only atwww.rockinrio.com.br at R$190 (US$120). There is a limit of four tickets per person (per CPF) and only one of those can be half-priced.

BRAZILIAN AIR PASS

BRAZILIAN AIR PASS:FOR MULTI-DESTINATION TRAVEL The Brazilian Air Pass is a cheap way of doing multi-destination trips in such a big country as Brazil. If you are planning some multi-destination travel, consider the Brazilian Air Pass, for internal flights. Without it, flying in Brazil can much more expensive. The Brazilian Air Pass is a product of the two major brazilian air carriers: the TAM and the Varig (both companies have a large brazilian territory covering and are comparable in importance). You can buy the pass either via TAM or via Varig offices or their representations (see details below).  Brazilian Air Pass: Validity, formats 1 – Brazilian air passes are valid for stays between 3 days (minimum) and 21 days (including the day of departure) and are only available to foreigners and brazilians residing abroad. They are issued by the major brazilian air carriers: TAM, Varig and Transbrasil. 2 - The most common airpass format has four flight coupons (4 destinations) and costs US$ 490.00 (and small additional fees). Additional flight coupons (for visiting additional cities) may be purchased for US$100-$130 each. 3 – Air passes are valid for flights between the brazilian airports served by the carrier to whom you buy the pass, except for shuttle flights between Congonhas airport (São Paulo) and Santos Dumont airport (Rio de Janeiro).  Acquisition, rules, children, unused passes, pre-scheduling of the flights 4 - You have to buy the Brazil Airpass outside Brazil, in the country where you are resident. You can’t buy it in Brazil. Coupons must be purchased before international departure. 5 - You have to present the round-trip international tickets (or a copy, or a proof of purchasing) to buy the airpass. 6 - There is no airpass discount for children with more than three years old. Infants with less than three years old benefit from a 90% discount. Each person must have an airpass. 7 – Air passes are refundable if unused. Partially used air passes are non-refundable. 8 – You can’t buy the Brazilian Air Pass without scheduling the internal flights you want to do in Brazil. Flights must be booked and confirmed for the whole itinerary in the moment of the purchase of the Air Pass. So, plan well your travel, with all the destinations and the days involved, before contacting TAM or Varig (the main Brazilian air carriers) offices or their reservation centres.  TAM and Varig Air Passes 10 –Varig Airpass is more restrictive than TAM’s one: passengers must have an international ticket on a Star Alliance carrier (Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, BMI British Midland, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines, and Varig Airlines); otherwise, airpass prices are higher. 11 - The airpass is not valid on all Brazilian carriers: if you buy a TAM airpass, it allows you to flight in TAM brazilian flights; if you by a Varig Airpass, it allows you to flight in brazilian Varig Airlines and their affiliates (RioSul and Nordeste). The alternative Varig Airpass/TAM airpass isn’t an important issue. Both companies have a large brazilian territory covering and are comparable in importance.  Reservations 12 - For Brazilian Airpass information and reservations through TAM:  TAM Airlines From USA, you can also call to: 1-888-235-9826 or 1-888-2FLY-TAM. For calls from other countries see phone numbers on  TAM Airlines 13 - For Brazilian Airpass information and reservations through Varig:  Varig Airlines From USA and Canada, you can also call to: 1800 468 2744 or 1800 GO VARIG; For calls from other countries, see phone numbers on  Varig Airlines You can also contact any of these carriers (for Varig Airpass):  Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, BMI British Midland, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines.    For more information about packages and multi-destination travel in Brazil, see: Planning your Brazilian tour …  Multi-destination travel in Brazil

PROTESTERS IN BRAZIL

Understanding Brazil: Protesting

By Ricky Skelton
June 21, 2011

A lot has been made of Brazil‘s strong economy, and complete avoidance of the 2008 Global Economic Crisis. Some put it down to Lula‘s skilful handling of the economy, although as his policy was just to hope that Brazil didn‘t catch the cold, then it was clearly nothing to do with him. Many people far more knowledgeable than me, including some on Gringoes.com‘s very own forums, have been predicting if not a crisis, then certainly a downturn in Brazil‘s economy. It seems to be about to come to pass, although bearing in mind that hardly any Global Economic Experts predicted the biggest crash in decades a couple of years ago, I wouldn‘t bet the house on their advice just yet.

There are signs though. The Real is supposedly the most over-valued currency on the planet (read the forums...), and the strong economy has been a disaster for Brazil‘s exports, as far cheaper Asian substitutes take over the business. One huge pointer as to the economic situation was Dilma‘s refusal in February to raise the salario minimo higher than R$545 after promising on being elected that it would rise to a whopping R$600 in 2011. Economic indicators state that Brazil‘s economy cannot afford such an increase in order to stay competitive. The downturn in exports is beginning to kick in, with many manufacturers of goods such as cars now having surplus stock. Car prices are expected to drop as a result.

At the sharp end of the wedge are the Brazilian workers, especially the public employees. With inflation maintained at around 6%, the average wage of your average Brazilian has been effectively dropping for the last few years, as prices increase far more than salaries. Something has to give, the economy cannot stay so strong if not everybody benefits, and clearly there is no trickle-down effect. Perhaps the likes of Sergio Cabral and Antonio Palocci‘s consultancy fees have meant that there is no money available for everyone else.

Recent posts circulating on Facebook have given the idea that Brazilians may be finally getting shaken out of their shoulder-shrugging, ‘what-can-you-do‘ torpor, and about to protest.

BOPE: R$2.260,00 prá arriscar a vida!
Bombeiro: R$960,00 prá salvar vidas!
Professor: R$728,00 prá preparar para a vida!
SÉRGIO CABRAL: R$17.000,00 prá ‘bagunçar‘ a VIDA dos outros.
Vergonha Nacional.

Brazilians as a population have always been curiously reluctant to protest about anything, unlike their neighbours in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Strikes and protests just don‘t happen here, whether through fear of reprisals that stem from the period of Military Dictatorship or something deeper in the Brazilian psyche.

The surest sign of an economy hitting trouble is an increase in the protests of workers. The first ones in Brazil are here, with the Bombeiros of Rio protesting about an increase in their salary from a paltry R$960, most of which is made up in benefits rather than wage. It is good to see such protests in Brazil, less good to see the dictatorship-style way that Cabral ordered BOPE to put an end to the situation. The protests have now spread to more public areas, such as outside Copacabana Palace, with more people involved. Who knows how long they will continue.

It would be nice to think that any downturn in the Brazilian economy could lead to an increase in this type of protest. If Brazil‘s coming ‘crisis‘ could help waken the dormant Latin American Protest gene, then Brazil as a whole might benefit in the long term. Citizens more willing to protest against the excesses of the country‘s political elite. Citizens from other walks of life, other communities prepared to follow Marina Silva‘s lead and move into politics perhaps, and help dilute the influence of those in power at the moment, the wealthy, land-owning elite. If you watch any of the Brazilian Parliament footage, it is quite staggering how unrepresentative of the Brazilian population the overwhelmingly white, male congress remains, despite having a female president. Surely a country ruled by a more representative cross-section of Brazilian society would result in a fairer sharing of the wealth, and help Brazil become the country it already imagines itself to be.

IT TASTE LIKE....

Yucky or what? Thailand's 13 most totally and utterly repulsive dishes

Live shrimp, fermented oysters and red ants. Even Thais have trouble stomaching some of the country's most notorious delicacies

By Mark Wiens 16 June, 2011

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Not all Thai food arrives at the table with a seductive appearance and sensational aroma. In fact there are quite a few dishes that not just foreigners but many Thais gag at the thought of eating.
But as disgusting as the majority may find them, even the most horrifying of dishes have devout fans who consider them a delicacy they fantasize about daily.
In honor of these culinary mavericks, here's a list of the most repulsive Thai dishes out there.

1. Goong Ten 

Always wanted to know what it feels like to have tiny shrimp dance the cha-cha in your mouth? Try goong ten.

With a name that literally means "dancing shrimp," you'd better believe this dish is alive. 

A frenzy-filled salad, goong ten is mixed in a metal bowl while the transparent little shrimp attempt in vain to wiggle their way to freedom. 

Why some people love it: I'll be the first to admit that a spoonful of the dancing critters is both entertaining and delicious. After taking a bite, the shrimp rupture with saltiness and climax with a pleasant crunch.

2. Larb Leuat Neua

It's safe to say fans of this bloody dish aren't suffering from anemia. Diarrhea, on the other hand...

This dish basically consists of dull red raw beef embellished with sprigs of mint.
But since the beef is not bloody enough on its own, the salad is fortified with a thick dressing of extra raw blood.
It goes against what most of us consider common dining knowledge: it's not safe to eat raw beef mixed with uncooked blood.
Why some people love it:  Nothing says manly like a spoon full of spiced blood paired with a nice big mug of ice-filled beer.

More on CNNGo: 40 Thai foods we can't live without

3. Som Tam Hoy Dong

Som tam hoy dong: Papaya salad with a revolting twist.

Whether it's the idea of eating fermented oysters soaked in blood red goop or the fear of eating a dish that is almost certain to result in a severe case of diarrhea, most foreigners and even quite a few Thais are reluctant to dine on som tam hoy dong.
Why some people love it: Judging by the fans of this dish that I've spoken with, the appeal of fermented oysters most likely develops in the early childhood years and sticks with them for life.

4. Gong Chae Nam Pla 

Stop looking at me, prawn.

Raw mantis prawns soaked in fish sauce are a mean looking dish. Their claws, tentacles and bulging eyes stare at you as you attempt to slurp down their slimy flesh.
To make the experience even worse, it's very easy to stab yourself as you reach your tongue into the shell to suck it all down.
Why some people love it: It's salty, fishy, spicy and slimy. If you find that combination of textures and tastes is alluring, you'll love goong chae nam pla.

More on CNNGo: Five Thai dishes that will send you running to the bathroom...then running back for more

5. Larb Mote Daeng

Ants aren't just for anteaters. Larb Mote Daeng might just be Thailand's most under-rated dish.

Red ants and their eggs are prized trophies in a number of Thai dishes.
Blindfold a person, feed them a bite of red ant larb, and they will usually say it's delicious.
But unfortunately, it's purely the idea of eating ant eggs that's to blame for most people's revulsion.
Why some people love it: Red ants eat mango leaves so their bodies taste like a squirt of lime. Their eggs, on the other hand, are fatty, like precious morsels of rich butter.  

More on CNNGo: 5 basic ingredients that can be used in hundreds of Thai dishes

Read more: Yucky or what? Thailand's 13 most totally and utterly repulsive dishes | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/eat/thailands-13-most-repulsive-dishes-242509?hpt=hp_bn10#ixzz1Pg4yb9VD

Brazil's Biofuel Drama Goes Global

By Eric Ehrmann

Speculators hedging uncertainty in world energy markets are again making renewable fuels derived from corn, cane sugar and soybeans the drivers offood price inflation, just as they did on the eve of the 2008 economic crisis.

With G-20 nations currently meeting in Buenos Airesto discuss controlling volatile commodities, Brazil has dropped prices 25% on pure E-100 ethanol, claiming fresh supplies from the current cane sugar harvest are taking pressure off the market. But government efforts to get major gasoline companies to reduce prices on gasoline-ethanol blends (E-18 and E-25) resulted in a cutback of only six percent.

Two weeks ago pure E-100 sugar ethanol was selling at the pump for the equivalent of $5.61 a gallon at most filling stations in southern Brazil. Now, after intervention by the Dilma government, it sells for around $4.22 a gallon, what regular unleaded gasoline blended with subsidized corn ethanol sells for in Washington, D.C.

While the move may slow efforts by speculators from taking over commodities markets controlled historically by supply and demand, it's unlikely to uncouple Brazil's huge food export economy from the politics and cycles of the oil market. In spite of the ethanol rollback, gasoline blended with ethanol costs on the average 2.89 reais per liter at the pump, the equivalent of $7.22 a gallon, three dollars more than what consumers pay inside the Beltway for regular or mid unleaded. Brazil can also elect to reduce its high taxes on gasoline and ethanol to help consumers on already tight budgets. But food price inflation remains a major issue that can push inflation above government projections by year's end.

Brazilian sugar ethanol increased in price 123% last year, shadowing price hikes in barrel oil. World Bank president Robert Zoellick, meanwhile, says world food prices have increased 36% over the past year and speculators hedging instability in oil nations factor into the rise. Couple that with a recent study by the Asian Development Bank indicating that each 10 percent rise in food prices puts an additional 64 million people into abject poverty, and Zoellick´s number quickly morphs into a group of 190 million marginalized, hungry humans, more than three times the population of France.

Derivatives traders, hedge fund operators and banks, detached from the social costs of food price inflation, have no qualms about speculating. According to the Daily Telegraph of London, Barclays Bank makes half a billion dollars a year speculating on food prices, and they are not the only bank who engages in such operations.

Brazil's history developing the sugar ethanol industry is full of the triumphs and contradictions one finds in Larry Rohter´s bestselling book on the land of the samba. When the military government opted for ethanol as the national fuel for automobiles back in 1976 it was not looking for a green solution or a biofuel. The junta viewed ethanol distilled from cane sugar as a national project to avoid dollar outlays for expensive foreign oil in the wake of price shocks that followed the Yom Kippur war. By 1985, with the transition to democracy well underway, 92% of the new cars sold in Brazil -- Fiats, Chevys and Volkswagens -- were built to run on E100.

Now, Brazil finds itself sitting on what some say are the world's largest oil discoveries in the past 100 years, and the emphasis has changed. Just one in four motorists prefer using pure E100 to gasoline blends even with the new flex motor vehicles that enable them to take advantage of the cheaper biofuel price.

Moreover, studies indicate that E100 delivers less miles per gallon or kilometer and generates only about 70 percent of the power offered by gasoline blended with ethanol. E100 ethanol derived from cane sugar, however, has an energy balance seven times greater than subsidized American ethanol derived from corn. The energy balance represents the statistical relationship between the energy required to produce the biofuel and the amount of energy the fuel releases when ignited by the engine of a car or truck or generator. But you can Google or even Bing and find other studies and social media storytelling that say ethanol is more powerful than Popeye after eating a can of spinach.

All of this reinforces the view of those who argue that biofuels and US ethanol subsidies are a boondoggle for global agribusiness and some US farmers. According to the US Congressional Budget Office, the amount it costs taxpayers to use corn ethanol to lower gasoline consumption by just one gallon is $1.78.

High energy prices are pushing up food costs everywhere. In Germany bread prices have jumped 15% this year, and the Federation of Food Producers blame biofuels and feed grain for pork, beef and dairy cattle. Demand for food in China has sparked double digit inflation for the past six months causing Beijing to acquire the soy production of an area in Brazil the size of Germany. AndSouth Korea, a major China trade partner, is now starting to see food prices spiral. New census results in Brazil indicate that hunger is becoming a bigger problem; 16 million people are living in abject poverty on monthly incomes of less than $60.

Brazil's biofuel drama is a reminder that solutions packaged in green wrappers fail to scale with billions facing starvation in the Americas, Africa and Asia. And while the biofuel economy has become too big and too noisy to fail the high degree of relative deprivation experienced by those it makes hungry make it all too tempting for them to trade their rice for a rifle. You don't need Twitter to hear about it... you can see it in the favelas, you see it in the emerging nation of Southern Sudan, and you see it along the borderlands of Cambodia and Thailand right now.

UPDATE 1: G-20 has downgraded meeting in Buenos Aires to workshop status and no unified substantive action to deal with food price inflation emerged at this gathering.

UPDATE 2: In conference call I participated yesterday with Brazil Central Bank governor Tombini, the governor acknowledged food price inflation and fuel costs are major concerns and that they are now on a watchlist of a new committee that meets weekly to deal with inflation policy.

Brazilian Business Targeted

April 7, 2011

Brazilian business targeted by US communities

By McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceCapital Correspondent

MIAMI —  Brazil is a continent-sized country with a $2.2 trillion economy and is South Florida’s largest trading partner as well as the source of hundreds of thousands of free-spending visitors who are snapping up everything from ocean-view condos to U.S. companies.

And that means it is high time for a well-thought-out, multi-year game plan to take advantage of the opportunities the burgeoning Brazilian economy presents, as well as to meet the challenges of doing business with the world’s seventh-largest economy, said Frank Nero, president and chief executive of the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s economic development agency.

So last week before an overflow audience, the Beacon Council put on a Brazil Business Development Strategy Conference with the goal of compiling a white paper on Brazil that will serve as a road map for a new business relationship.

The Miami conference comes on the heels of a successful visit to Brazil by President Barack Obama, whose goal was to reset political and economic relations with a country that has a huge appetite for American products, is sitting on oil discoveries that could potentially make it one of the world’s largest oil exporters, is a stable and friendly democracy, and is on an infrastructure building binge as it readies for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Beacon Council conference explored everything from investment and trade opportunities in Brazil to investment by Brazilian companies in South Florida and how to spur travel and tourism between the two countries. Last year, Brazil became Miami-Dade’s first “billion-dollar” international market, with Brazilians spending $1.1 billion during their visits.

Nero called the session a “crash course in Brazil” — one that he hopes will pay dividends for both South Florida and Brazilian companies.

“Brazil is living a very good moment — really a remarkable period of time,” said Ambassador Luiz de Araujo Castro, consul general of Brazil in Miami. “We see ourselves today as a world player.”

While the United States has traditionally been Brazil’s top trading partner, it no longer is. Now it is China, which has been snapping up Brazilian agricultural products and raw materials, pushing up the price of commodities and pumping up growth.

Brazil is the world’s top exporter of beef, poultry, sugar, coffee, orange juice concentrate, tobacco and ethanol and the second-largest exporter of soybeans.

Some critics say Brazil has become too dependent on China, but de Araujo Castro said, “Brazilians are not scared of China; it has been a very productive relationship.”

Brazil has a trade surplus with China, but a trade deficit with the United States, noted Amaury de Souza, a visiting scholar at the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy.

But that trade deficit is largely the product of a very strong real that makes U.S. products relatively cheap for Brazilian buyers.

What also differentiates trade with the two countries is that Brazil buys mostly manufactured products from China and sells commodities, but manufactured products are in its export mix to the United States.

“Trade with the U.S. promotes Brazilian domestic industry, but trade with China promotes agro-industry and the import of manufactured goods,” de Souza said.

And just because there is plenty of potential for business with Brazil doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. Right now the Brazilian government is trying to strike the right equilibrium to keep its economy growing without stimulating inflation, and while the middle class is growing, Brazil still has serious income distribution problems.

Meanwhile, high interest rates in Brazil are attracting lots of capital from abroad but that also contributes to strengthening the real, which is making Brazilian exports less competitive.

Panelists also pointed to a complicated legal system, red tape in business dealings and bottlenecks at Brazilian ports as challenges.

But as Brazil prepares for its two mega-sporting events, the biggest opportunities will be in improving and building infrastructure — roads, ports and airports, de Souza said.

Gilberto Neves, president and chief executive of Odebrecht USA, said, for example, that $95 billion will be invested in infrastructure for the Olympics and $1.7 billion will be invested in stadiums needed for the World Cup.

Sao Paulo-based Odebrecht, the largest construction and engineering firm in Latin America and also a major builder in South Florida, is heavily involved. It will be building four of the World Cup stadiums, taking a stake in two — including the new Corinthians stadium in Sao Paulo. It is involved in the renovation of Rio’s famed soccer stadium, Maracana, and is also engaged in Rio’s $24 billion revamp of Port Maravilha. “It will almost be like a new downtown for Rio,” Neves said.

“There are big opportunities in Brazil now,” Neves said. And they aren’t just related to the games. An Odebrecht company is the world leader in ethanol production, another division builds oil platforms for Petrobras, and Odebrecht also is a leader in construction of hydro-electric projects. Neves said he also sees big opportunities in affordable housing construction in Brazil.

Odebrecht opened a U.S. office in 1990, and has worked on 61 U.S. projects valued at $4.8 billion — the majority in South Florida — in the past 21 years. Among its current projects are the mile-long North Terminal at Miami International Airport; Airport City, a retail and commercial complex planned at the airport; and the Metrorail AirportLink.

Another Brazilian company that has found success in South Florida is Embraer, a commercial, defense and executive jet manufacturer whose North American headquarters is in Fort Lauderdale. The company recently opened its first U.S. production facility in Melbourne. It was able to hire a number of former NASA employees as the space shuttle program wound down, said Christine Manna, director of corporate communications.

But the strategy many Brazilian companies are using to enter the U.S. market these days is buying an existing U.S. company, said Marcel Coehlo, a lawyer in the New York office of Becker & Poliacoff.

That’s the route that IBOPE, a Brazilian media, market and opinion research firm, took when it acquired Zogby International and planted the new firm, IBOPE Zogby International, in Miami

“Now is a great time for Miami as an entryway to Latin America — and especially Brazil,” said Kjell D’Orr, the chief executive.

Some who attended the conference are already working to expand Brazilian business. William Talbert, president and chief executive of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, for example, chairs a U.S. Travel Association committee that is working to get visa requirements lifted between the two countries, so visitors can travel with just a passport. Currently 36 countries have so-called visa-waiver programs with the United States.

It costs $140 for a U.S. citizen to obtain a Brazilian tourist visa, and U.S. fees are equivalent. Waits for visas, particularly for Brazilians, can be extensive. Talbert presented data showing the average waiting time for a U.S. visa in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, is 142 days and 111 days in Sao Paulo.

Travel professionals have told him that a visa-waiver program might double the number of Brazilian visitors, Talbert said. With Brazilian travelers already accounting for more than $1 billion in expenditures in Miami-Dade County, Talbert asked, “A $2 billion market? Anyone want a piece of that?”

Support for a visa-waiver program will probably be one of the ideas that will wind up in the white paper.

“Getting a visa travel waiver for Brazil is the U.S. Travel Association’s No. 1 priority,” Talbert said. “What can be done to help? Keep the buzz going on a visa waiver — just keep talking.”

At the end of the meeting Nero asked the audience for their recommendations. “No idea is wrong; no recommendations are too small or too big,” he said.

The next step will be summarizing the ideas of the seminar, incorporating new ideas that are submitted and circulating a draft for input before the final white paper is prepared.

“I think this was very useful for everyone,” said Brazil’s de Araujo Castro. “It was a very interesting brain-storming session.”