For any Miami residents interested in hopping down to Brazil this summer to catch any of the World Cup games, especially those hoping to hit up the northeastern part of the country, we have some good news for you. At the end of May, TAM Airlines will begin offering a weekly direct flight from Miami International Airport to the beautiful city of Fortaleza (see picture above), which is the capital of the state of Ceará. There will be almost 600 flights from Miami to Brazil just in June, and the airport anticipates over 100,000 passengers will leave from Miami to head to Brazil.
Brazil already was Miami International Airport’s number one international market, but until fairly recently, most direct flights had been routed through São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. Once TAM begins to run these flights to Fortaleza, Miami International Airport will have direct flights to 11 different destinations in Brazil. Among those 11 cities, 10 of them are World Cup host cities, out of 12 total cities that will be hosting games. Ordinarily, the country hosting the World Cup has 8 host cities, but Brazil lobbied to utilize 12 cities in order to promote economic development throughout the entire country.
One Brazilian city that is looking forward to attracting new foreign visitors is Manaus, located in the heart of the Amazon. Many visitors may have been reluctant to visit the somewhat remotely situated and quite hot and humid area. However, residents of the city are hopeful that the World Cup will bring in many tourists who will be pleased to learn that Manaus has a lot to offer travelers.
Manaus is slated to host four World Cup Matches, including one of the U.S. team’s games. Even though some teams and coaches have been openly skeptical about playing in tropical temperatures, Brazilian officials in the Amazonian region have been good-natured about the international apprehension. For example, one official stated that the heat there is “not the kind of heat that ever killed anybody” and that it’s a “familial warmth.”
On a serious note, to address the concerns and ensure the safety of the players, the games in some of the hotter areas of the country have been scheduled for evenings so that the players will not be running around in the middle of the day under the blazing sun. In addition, the stadium cover in Manaus is designed to reduce the inside temperature a few degrees. Plus, most teams have been practicing in simulated conditions to prepare for the most exciting international soccer tournament.
Sadly, we probably won’t be heading to Brazil to catch any live games, after all we’ve got a hot Miami Beach real estate market to maintain and too many Miami properties for sale that we are working on selling! Fortunately, we are fairly certain there will be plenty of World Cup watching happening in bars all across Miami, as well as the live World Cup preview here in Miami before the official tournament kicks off. We can’t wait!