Para: Brazil's next hotspot?

Aug. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Aside from being associated with sun, carnival and idyllic beaches, Brazil has really come into its own recently with its economy and with a flurry of businesses wanting to expand in the South American hotspot.

Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Sao Paulo are probably the better known areas of Brazil where investors see opportunities and where tourists flock.

But there are regions in Brazil that boast the potential to flourish into key attractions for tourists as Financial Times journalists Iona Teixeira Stevens and Joe Leahy explored.

The state of Pará, located in Northern Brazil is not only bigger than Angola, but as Stevens and Leahy explains, ‘usually only attract unwanted attention for their high rates of deforestation, land conflict and other environmental issues, such as the construction of dams.’ Para also produces rubber, tropical hardwood and minerals.

Belém, the state’s capital boasts an array of riverside restaurants along the historic “Ver-O-Peso” market. Tourists and visitors can sample the local spicy cuisine and even dine with locals for dinner by the banks of the Xingu River.

With so much on offer, one wonders why this gem isn’t bustling with visitors both domestic and foreign. The rise of the Real means that now more Brazilians are jetting off to destinations like Miami where their money can go further.

Despite having a large land mass, the region only accounts for 5.5% of the country’s hotel beds according to the Financial Times blog. The lack of tourism is affecting commerce and the lack of infrastructure is also contributing to this cause and proving to be an impediment for visitors.

There are concerns though that the government is solely focused on infrastructure projects and ranching which will be detrimental to the region’s natural beauty. According to Rodolfo Salm, professor at the Federal University of Para and an environmental scientist, the tourism potential hasn’t even fully been explored yet.

Roads still need to be made safer and tackling highway robberies which are the norm will need to be made a priority if Para is to compete as another destination in Brazil to lure tourists – both domestic and foreign.