São Paulo – The quest for the second consecutive FIFA Intercontinental Cup title should take 5,000 fans of Brazilian football team Sport Clube Internacional to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, in December. In some travel agencies, packages are almost sold out. In others, there are still openings for fans who don’t want to miss the team’s matches.
Based in Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the team is going to play two matches for the 2010 title. The first will be on December 14th. If it wins, the team will progress to the final, on the 18th. "The team is expecting to paint Abu Dhabi and Dubai red [its colour], with lots of joy," says the executive director for Marketing at Internacional, Jorge Avancini.
If it gets defeated in the first match, the team will play for the third place, also on the 18th of December. According to the team’s director, the number of fans who will go to Abu Dhabi is twice as high as that of those who watched Inter win its first championship, in 2006, in Japan.
Travel agency Tribeca offers fans a package that includes round-trip air tickets from São Paulo, with Emirates Airline, an eight-night stay at a four-star hotel in Dubai, tickets and transport for the matches and the hotel, and an entry visa to the Emirates, all for 10,200 Brazilian reals (US$ 5,896 at current exchange rates). Departure is on December 13th.
At Maktour, the cheapest package sells for US$ 4,586, or roughly 7,920 reals, including round-trip tickets leaving from São Paulo on December 10th, with Emirates Airline, a 13 night-stay in Dubai, at the City Max or the Grandeur Hotel, a city tour of Dubai, an entry visa to the country and travel insurance. Tickets may be purchased separately, at the agency itself, for US$ 130, approximately 224 reals. Both agencies offer the assistance of guides who speak Portuguese.
Last Saturday (27th), Inter brought together approximately 1,500 fans at an event named "Rumo a Abu Dhabi" (Heading for Abu DHabi), which was attended by the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Brazil, Yousuf Ali Abdulrahman Al-Usaimi. During the meeting, fans were also given guidance on the Arab country’s culture and safety tips. Participants were also given a fan’s guide named "Guia do Torcedor Colorado," containing information on the Emirates and rules of conduct.
Service
Tribeca Turismo
Tel.: (+55 51) 3076-7002
Maktour
Tel.: (+55 11) 3818-2222
(+55 51) 3311-7600
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
