Rio Anticipated to Draw 600,000 Visitors during 2014 FIFA World Cup

Rio, one of twelve Brazilian cities hosting matches, will host seven games, with the final July 13 at the world-renowned Maracana Stadium, which has been fully modernized to meet FIFA standards. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes has initiated the city’s operational plans for the 2014 FIFA World Cup that will start June 12. The city will also host the World Cup’s media headquarters and the temporary FIFA head office and press centre.

During the event Rio is likely to attract 600,000 tourists, so to lessen the number of vehicles in circulation and ensure traffic flows smoothly, the city announced a three-day holiday during match days at Maracana Stadium. Critics claim the holidays will lead to losses in revenue for businesses, but the mayor countered those losses will be equalize by tourism.

To get to the stadiums, officials are expecting most visitors to use the city’s subway system, but a rapid transit bus system, specially built to be ready for the World Cup, and should also be available during the tournament. Paes said, tourist buses would not be allowed near the Maracana stadium, but instead will be diverted to another location, from where tourists will be able to take public transportation to the stadium. This, too, is expected to ease traffic. According to authorities, the operational plan has been under development for the past two years, with valuable experience gleaned from other large-scale international events.