Reporters look at the world! Hello everyone, I am Cao Xuan, a correspondent of the General Radio Station in Brazil.
Speaking of Brazil, it is impossible not to mention the beautiful beaches here. According to statistics recently released by Brazil's tourism department, nearly half of the country's tourists have chosen beaches as tourist destinations in the past year. From Copacabana Beach in Rio, to Rose Beach in Santa Catarina, to Mirror Beach in Bahia... Even in the face of the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, "beach tourism" is still the best way for people to relax.
Aerial view of Ipanema and Copacabana Beaches (Image: CFP)
Romantic Brazilians are keen on "beach tourism", first of all thanks to the unique climate here, more than 80% of Brazil's territory is located in the tropics, with an average annual temperature of more than 25 °C. In the state of São Paulo, where I am located, even though it's winter in the southern hemisphere, you can feel the breeze. At the same time, Brazil has abundant beach resources. Statistics show that Brazil's coastline is more than 7,000 kilometers, with thousands of beaches of different characteristics, large and small, attracting a large number of tourists from home and abroad every year. It can be said that beaches, like football, have become a business card that Brazil has shown to the world. A local friend once told me that in Brazil, you can always find a beach that you like.
Recife Beach, Pernambuco, Brazil (Photo by Cao Xuan)
The love of the beach has long been integrated into brazilian life. Brazilians promote an unfettered, natural and relaxed lifestyle, and the wide beach provides the best platform for such a lifestyle: men, women and children, poor or rich, can enjoy the gifts of nature and experience the fun of the beach. After a busy day, come to the beach for a stroll or put on a colorful bikini for a sea surf, about three or five friends to play a beach volleyball, think about it is a pleasant experience.
Fortaleza Beach, Ceara, Brazil (Photo by Cao Xuan)
There is a story circulating in Brazil: an old man who is basking in the sun by the sea asks the young people around him why he is sullen, and the young man replies that he is very depressed about losing money when he fails in business. The old man asked you what you were making money for, and the young man said that if you earn money, you can happily lie on the beach and enjoy life. The old man smiled and said that you can now lie here without spending a penny to enjoy the sun and sand and realize your ideal life. It can be seen that the beach provides the most affordable living enjoyment for all Brazilians.
However, the sudden outbreak of new crown pneumonia has also caught people off guard. In 2020, in the relatively serious stage of the epidemic, statistics show that the Brazilian tourism industry lost more than 480,000 jobs, causing direct economic losses of 207.85 billion reais (about 266.048 billion yuan), and about 97% of small and micro enterprises collapsed, including 40,000 restaurants and bars related to tourism, 5,400 small and medium-sized hotels, etc. My state of São Paulo has been particularly hard hit by tourism, with 15,200 travel-related businesses closing.
Recife Beach, Pernambuco, Brazil (Photo by Cao Xuan)
Fortunately, the situation is constantly improving. Not long ago, I visited Guarujá Beach, 90 km from São Paulo, which is not very lively, but there are also many families who come to vacation. Many tourists order a glass of freshly squeezed juice for 10 reais and spend an afternoon under a beach umbrella.
Statistics from Brazil's International Tourism Promotion Agency show that more than 1 million foreign tourists visited Brazil in the first half of 2022 alone. Therefore, even in the face of the impact of the epidemic, it is difficult to stop people's enthusiasm for pursuing a happy life. The musical story of the widely sung Brazilian Posanova song "Ipanema Girl" takes place in Ipanema, a famous beach in Rio, Brazil. In the lyrics, "Look at the beautiful lady, beautiful and elegant, she dances lightly, drifting towards the sea, and the golden sunshine of Ipanema sprinkles on her, which is a tranquility that is better than the poem, the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen in my life", which is a vivid interpretation of the Brazilian love for the beach.
Helo Pinheiro, the prototype of the girl in the song "Ipanema Girl"
The above is the observation of Cao Xuan, a reporter of the General Taiwan Station in Brazil, in the local area.
The author of this issue of "Reporters from the General Station Looks at the World" is Cao Xuan, a reporter of the General Station in Brazil
(From the Voice of China column "Reporters From the General Station Look at the World")
Producer 丨 Li Tianjiao
Reporter 丨 Cao Xuan
Editor 丨 Yang Boyu