São Paulo – Embratur and Google launched today (3) an innovative tool for tourist promotion of Brazil abroad. An exclusive channel on site YouTube brings videos of several tourist destinations, as well as statements by foreign tourists and national celebrities speaking about the country.
“We want the world, those who visit us, talking about our experience,” said Embratur president Jeanine at a press conference marking the release of the tool, today, in São Paulo. “We sell experiences, not tangible products,” said Jeanine, on explaining the decision of associating the videos and images of sites to statements about Brazil made by visitors and famous people.
Among the celebrities participating, for example, is tennis player Gustavo Kuerten and Globo TV presenter Maria Paula.
The videos, narrated in Portuguese or English, are subtitled in 68 languages, including Arabic. Initially, there are already recordings about 88 sites, but the number of tourist destinations promoted abroad by Embratur should reach at least 280.
Another attraction of the tool is its association with Google Maps. While the web user sees the video about a specific destination or Brazilian state, the site shows its position on the country map.
Google took six months to produce this project exclusively for Embratur. Still in the first half of this year, Internet surfers may add their own videos and statements.
According to figures supplied by Embratur, 27.6% of the foreign tourists who travelled to Brazil in 2008 used the Internet as the main source of information for the trip.
Jeanine did not inform the amount invested in the tool, which she said is part of a greater strategy for promotion of Brazil abroad. “It is the fruit of a something we noticed was missing for those interested in visiting Brazil.”
However, she said that 30% of the Embratur investment in advertising is turned to digital communication.
“This experience is, in the tourist point of view, a global case,” pointed out the Embratur president, adding that other countries have already got in contact with Google to develop a similar tool.
According to Jaderson Alencar, the Marketing manager at Embratur and also the person responsible for the project, there should be “massive promotion” of the site, with its inclusion in all the social networks belonging to Google, for example, and the sending of a list with over 400,000 names of people related to the tourist sector, among other activities.
Also participating in the interview were Alex Dias, the director general of Google Brazil, and Jorge Dib, director of the Tourism area at Google.
To visit the tool, go to link www.youtube.com/visitbrasil
*Translated by Mark Ament
