Rio
de Janeiro, a multi-faceted destination
, the focus of the travel industry
in Latin America and unique in terms
of its natural beauty, with the richness
of its history and the contagious
fun of its residents have contributed
to its image as a very special destination.
The visitor seeking a resort destination
which also provides the sophisticated
infra-structure of a modern city will
find everything he requires in Rio
de Janeiro. Factor in the rainforest
flourishing between the city and the
beaches and you have a virtually unique
range of products all within the one
destination.
Rio
is a city of contrasts: the colonial
architecture provides a reminder of
the past, striking modern buildings
provide a glimpse into the future.
Two landmarks, true postcard images,
are known the world over: the Sugar
Loaf and the Statue of Christ the
Redeemer.
Rio de Janeiro, as a travel destination,
is not seasonally sensitive, as the
climate is temperate year round, and
its attractions can be enjoyed at
virtually any time of the year.
Visitors
always discover what the residents
know and are proud of: there’s
always something new happening in
Rio exhibitions, dance and music shows,
sporting events.
Climate:
Rio de Janeiro is a tropical city. The
average temperature, in November, ranges
between 25ºC and 19ºC.
Local
Time:
The official time in Brazil is three
hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT
- 3).
Business
Hours:
Banks are open from 10 am to 4 pm and
are closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Shops are open from Monday to Saturday
from 9 am to 7 pm, and are closed on
Sunday. Hypermarkets are open from 10
am to 10 pm from Monday to Saturday
and from 3 pm to 9 pm on Sunday.
Language: The language spoken in Brazil
is Portuguese. English is the predominant
foreign language taught in schools,
and Spanish, if spoken slowly, is understood
by a good percentage of the population.
Communications
and Facilities for the Visitors:
Brazil has an excellent telecommunications
system which links the country to the
rest of the world. The telecommunications
market had a great improvement with
the open of the market to the foreign
investor. Direct dial and collect calls
can be placed from any telephone. Pay
phones are located throughout the city
and operate with telephone cards. Portable
cellular telephones are available to
visitors for a small rental charge.
The country is also one of the most
important market in the Web business,
figuring as the third market in the
world.
85% of the local tourism is due to the
business travels. For that reason, the
main hotels are prepared for this profile
and offer very good facilities to the
guests, such as a business centre and
support 24 four hours a day.
Foreign
Exchange:
The Brazilian monetary unit is the Real
(R$). The exchange rate available to
visitors is published daily in the newspaper
along with the commercial dollar rate
of the day used in official international
business transactions. Cash and traveler
checks, especially US Dollars, can be
exchanged at most banks or exchange
houses as well as the major hotels.
All major credit cards are accepted
in Brazil and some stores even accept
foreign currency.
Yellow
Fever Vaccine
For tourists who have been in transit
over the past three months, or who are
coming from certain countries - Angola,
Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea Bissau, French Guiana, Liberia,
Nigeria, Peru, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Sierra Leon, Sudan, Venezuela
and Zaire -, an International
Certificate of Vaccination against yellow
fever is required.
The
yellow fever vaccine is also recommended
for all national and international tourists
who intend to visit the following Brazilian
areas: North (Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia,
Roraima, Amapá, Pará,
Tocantins States) and Mid-west (Mato
Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás
e Distrito Federal States) Regions of
Brazil, to all municipalities of Maranhão
and Minas Gerais, to the municipalities
located in the South of Piauí,
West and South of Bahia, North of Espírito
Santo, Northwest of São Paulo
and West of the states of Paraná,
Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
The
vaccine should be taken ten days before
your trip – that is how
long it takes for you to be protected
against the disease. The reason for
this is that, in some forest areas of
the country, there is the possibility
of people not having taken the vaccination
becoming contaminated and getting sick
with yellow fever. The Brazilian coast
is free from the disease in the strip
that goes from Rio Grande do Sul to
Piauí. The forests in the coastal
strip ranging from the North of Espírito
Santo to the South of Bahia have not
registered the circulation of the wild
yellow fever virus. It is important
to remember that no cases of urban yellow
fever have been seen in Brazilian cities
since 1942.
Doubts
and Other Vaccines Consult
the Brazilian Consulate nearest you,
or the Brazilian Embassy in your country,
to explain any doubts and to obtain
any other information concerning vaccinations
in Brazil.
To the organizers of
the International Congress of
Endocrinology:
Last summer (especially between
January and March) the city
of Rio de Janeiro faced an outbreak
of dengue fever in certain areas
of the city where basic sanitary
conditions are still unsatisfactory,
mainly in the north and west
zones.
Since April the numbers have
been dropping and are continuously
diminishing, and the local authorities
are making all possible efforts
to avoid any problems of the
kind next summer.
Under no circumstances, based
on epidemiological history,
the ocurrence of an outbreak
in the month of December is
expected.
It is important to highlight
that in the most visited parts
of the city - south zone and
downtown areas - significant
outbreaks have never occurred,
even in the summer.
The City of Rio will welcome
you all with open arms,
Rubem Medina Secretary of Tourism
City of Rio de Janeiro
1- Epidemiology: Dengue mosquito
lives during summer and rain stations
(warm weather and out-door collected
water make a good environment for
them). This season is ending in Rio
de Janeiro, and will result in fewer
cases from June-July. Looking at the
number of cases in the entire State
of Rio de Janeiro it is clear that
this epidemic is mitigating: January
= 17.193, February = 23.510, March
= 57.735 and April = 23.148. (Note
that the total population for the
State is 15.383.407 and 6.094.000
for the city). We predict that this epidemic
will have gone by November.
2- Rio's south zone and Barra da Tijuca,
the site of ICE 2008, has had very
few cases. The Riocentro Convention
itself has no dengue or mosquito detected.
Although it is located near Jacarepaguá,
a neighborhood with a dengue focus,
the Riocentro staff takes rigorously
care about sanitary conditions
3- The Government has taken many measures
to minimize this epidemic which is
also resulting in a reduction in the
numbers of new cases (see graph).
4.-Transmission: Mosquito-borne (Aedes
aegypti). There is no vaccine for
preventing dengue. The best preventive
measure for residents living in areas
infested with Aedes aegypti is to
eliminate the places where the mosquito
lays her eggs, primarily artificial
containers that hold water.
For
travelers to areas with dengue, as well
as people living in areas with dengue,
the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes
indoors is reduced by utilization of
air conditioning or windows and doors
that are screened. Proper application
of mosquito repellents on exposed skin
and clothing decreases the risk of being
bitten by mosquitoes. The risk of dengue
infection for international travelers
to ICE 2008 in November 2008 appears
to be small.
Sources: 1-Brazil Health Ministery.
2-CDC 3- Secretaria de Estado de Saúde
do Rio de Janeiro
