São Paulo – The Festival das Cataratas (Waterfalls Festival), scheduled for June 20 to 22 in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state, will include an exclusive Middle East exhibition space. The tourism event takes place in the city that stands at the border shared by Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and will gather both the general crowd and the industry’s professionals for the promotion of destinations, products and tourism services.
The Arab corner in the festival will be a stand organized by Brazilian journalist Lú Braga, who lives in Lebanon and from there writes the blog “Na Segunda a Lú Começa” (Lú Begins on Monday). In the 30-square-meter space, named Middle East Tourism Exhibition, Arab tourism destinations for Brazilians and Brazilian destinations for Arabs will be on show.
The place will also host B2B meetings involving Brazilian and Paraguayan entrepreneurs that are interested in the Arab market and representatives from the Arab diplomacy and from Arab organizations in Brazil. According to Braga, representatives from Arab countries with established embassies and consulates in the country were invited.
Interviews with diplomats and business owners will also be conducted by the journalist in the stand, who will be live streaming them on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube and on the blog “Na Segunda a Lú Começa”. She did the same in the 2017 edition (picture above), when she interviewed many entrepreneurs of Arab descent from the border region. The stand will have an Arabic décor.
On the Arab tourism to be promoted in the exhibition, Lú Braga says that it will include medical, fashion and cuisine tourism, among other attractions from the region. The event will provide information for the public on the dress codes for trips to the Arab countries and on visa requirements, the topics that raise the most questions on the journalist’s blog.
Last year, Lú Braga organized a stand promoting the Arab countries in the Festival das Cataratas and she says that, due to its success, she decided to return, but in a bigger set. “We were one of the most sought-after stands,” says Braga. For this year’s event, the Brazilian was invited and accepted, by the Festival das Cataratas’ organization, to be the ambassador for the Middle East Tourism Exhibition.
Also taking part in the Middle East Tourism Exhibition are the son of Lebanese parents Mahmoud Baydoun, who appeared at the Rede Globo reality show BBB18, and entrepreneur Julia de Biase, the owner of De Biase & Presbiteris, a trading company that imports dates to Brazil, and of the retail chain of Arab perfumes Al Zahra.
According to Braga, the profits generated by the Middle East Tourism Exhibition will go to Moça Bonita, the project that promotes cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment for young women. Headed by doctor Aref Muhieddine, the project has organized many action campaigns (healthcare camps) in the Arab countries and in Brazil.
Waterfalls
The Festival das Cataratas is in its 13th edition. It will host tourism and business fairs, B2B meetings and thematic events, such as the Tourism and Spirituality Exhibition, Bath & Spa Brazilian Tourism Exhibition, Argentinian Wine Exhibition and Sustainable Products Expo. A forum to discuss tourism topics will also take place.
Over 820 brands will take part in the event, with 8,200 exhibitors. The festival is organized by De Angeli Feiras e Eventos and will take place at the Centro de Convenções Rafain Palace Hotel.
Quick info:
Middle East Tourism Exhibition
https://www.facebook.com/nasegundaalucomeca/
13th Festival das Cataratas
June 20 to 22, 2018
Centro de Convenções Rafain Palace Hotel
Avenida Olímpio Rafagnin, 2357 – Parque Imperatriz – Foz do Iguaçu – PR
http://festivaldeturismodascataratas.com/
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
