Brazil and Ecuador take center stage at the New York Times Travel Show.

Brazil pushes the World Cup and Ecuador extols the Galapagos Islands at the New York Times Travel Show

By Carlos Giron

New York, NY (February, 23, 2011) –  Two Latin American countries are aggressively pushing their destinations at this year’s New York Times Travel Show. Brazil and Ecuador have increased their stakes at the prestigious travel show elevating their investments as Contributing Sponsors of the well attended event.

For five-time FIFA World Cup champions, Brazil, the theme of their travel promotion is clear: Brazil is the place to be for soccer lovers from now until the kick-off of the grand sporting event in 2014. As host country of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil is assured of a significant boost in tourism the year of the event.

But what about the years in between?

Well, the tourism board executives are hoping that world tourists have realized that the country has changed dramatically for the better.

As former New York Times reporter Larry Rohter puts it in his book “Brazil on the Rise”: “Two decades ago Brazil had a debt that made some Third World countries blush, but today it has the world's eighth largest economy, poised to overtake France. It has achieved energy independence and, with the discovery of the largest oil field in the last century, is becoming a major exporter of crude oil to the United States. With its successful bid for the 2016 Olympics, Brazil, at last, is ready to take its place on the world stage.”

Indeed, Brazil is now a major economic and cultural force, there is less crime and violence, more political stability and the country remains blessed with tremendous natural beauty. Now may be the best time for tourists to go and experience it.

Meanwhile, Ecuador has taken its global tourism campaign to the next level. The Ecuadorian tourism board officially launched the “Ecuador Love Life!” campaign today in Colombia. The $40 million campaign seeks to bring the message that Ecuador is a country where all tourists can come and love life to all the corners of the planet.

“The idea is that Ecuador presents itself to the world like a country that loves life and that we ask all those that visit our country to learn to love life,” said Freddy Ehlers Zurita, Ecuador's minister of tourism.

Ecuador is spending heavily in global promotions and marketing campaigns. They are confident that the country has the infrastructure, attractions and resources necessary to attract major foreign tourism. All they needed was that major marketing push.

Well, now they have it.

Brazil and Ecuador are definitely attractive destinations. But they are not the only destinations in Latin America that are generating more attention and capturing more foreign tourists. Costa Rica reigns supreme in Central America, Argentina continues to be dominant in South America and the Caribbean destinations are led by Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

A terrific mix.

All these countries will have a presence at this year’s travel show. Make sure to not to miss it.

The show kicks off Saturday, February 26 and concludes on Sunday, February 27. The huge show floor features close to 500 exhibitors representing more than 150 countries. For more information, including how to buy tickets, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/travelshow   

###