• May 14, 2009

Embratur, Brazil's Ministry of Tourism, has launched a new tourism campaign called "Brazil Now."

Initial participants in the initiative are three airlines operating international routes to Brazil, including TAM, Gol/Varig and TAP. Others are the Brazilian Association of the Industry of Hotels and the Association of Receptive Tourism in Brazil.

The first phase of the promotion offers lower tax on commercial tour operator packages from the United States and South America to Rio de Janeiro. The next stage adds European tour operators and flights to additional Brazilian cities.

Information about "Brazil Now" will be available online in Spanish and English, on the campaign's Web site, which launched Thursday at www.braziltour.com/brasilnetwork.

During the second half of this month, the campaign will also be incorporated into the "Brazil Sensational!" advertising campaign, which will target consumers in 12 countries, illustrating Brazilian destinations to foreign tourists.--Karl Greenberg