Rio Companies Prepare For 2014 World Cup And 2016 Olympic Games

The events of Rio Carnival alone bring over 500,000 annual tourists to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the coming years, all eyes of the world will be on Rio as Rio de Janeiro will play host to many major international events. With the United Nation's 2012 Rio+20, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner, this South American city is preparing for an unparalleled influx of tourists and visitors. Consequently, major tour operators and travel agents are adjusting their sales offering accordingly.

After Rio de Janeiro won the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, officials began planning for an overhaul of the Sambadrome, the official Rio Carnival venue that will also host events of the 2016 Olympics. Renovations to the Sambadrome increased the venue's seating capacity from 70,000 to 90,000 spectators barely in time for Rio Carnival 2012, resulting in record-breaking ticket sales. While the new-and-improved venue offers more seats for spectators, the demand for Rio Carnival Tickets has and will continue to exceed venue capacity.

According to a spokesperson from Rio.com LLC, a Miami-based fully licensed tour operator catering to the needs of thousands of travelers to Rio de Janeiro "Due to the media attention and high-profile events taking place over the next four years, we anticipate dramatic annual increases in demand for airfare, hotels and tickets to Rio de Janeiro during Carnival". Rio Carnival 2013 is not until February of next year, but companies are already making the necessary preparations.

In an email to its customers, RIO.com announced the launch of a new website called RioCarnival.net. According to the newsletter, "RioCarnival.net is a new, easy to navigate site that offers many exciting new features!" In addition to the site's new revamped hotel booking engine that offers a wider inventory of rooms ranging from luxury suites to hostels, RioCarnival.net is completely mobile friendly. Among the new features is a new ticket purchasing interface that will allow travelers to browse and book tickets to the Sambadrome Parades, in real time, with the help of newly designed interactive maps.

According to a company spokesperson, "These new features will greatly enhance the consumer experience. As technology evolves, so will our product offerings. In turn, customers will receive the best deals and with a great user experience". RioCarnival.net will allow visitors the option of purchasing last-minute tickets from their mobile devices. Tickets can be delivered to hotels within 30 miles of Copacabana, or will be available for pickup at both the RIO.com and RioCarnival.net Carnival Help Desk.

RIO.com assured its customers that the addition of RioCarnival.net will only enhance its product offerings, providing customers with a new resource for planning and booking travel to Rio Carnival. According to the company, "With RioCarnival.net being the new addition to our family, RIO.com is everything it was and more! RioCarnival.net promises to bring you the same high level of customer service, offering the widest selection of ticket options and providing our loyal customers with a rich source of relevant information about the events of Rio Carnival".

In addition to Carnival Balls, Street Parades, among other events, the epicenter of Rio Carnival revolves around an annual competition between organizations called Samba Schools. Dating back to the early 20th century, Samba Schools are highly organized social groups, with members typically sharing some kind of geographic connection. There are more than 100 Samba Schools scattered throughout Rio de Janeiro, with only the top 12 making it into the premier league of Samba Schools, the Special Group. These 12 schools compete in the Sambadrome through meticulously judged parades: the winner is pronounced champion and the loser is demoted to a less prestigious group. Sambadrome Parades will take place in Rio on the nights of February 9-11 2013. The Champion's parade will take place on February 16, 2013. Tickets are on sale now at RioCarnival.net.

About RioCarnival.net:
RioCarnival.net is a property of RIO.com LLC, a Miami-based tour operator specializing in travel to Rio de Janeiro and the surrounding destinations. The company boasts a large inventory of Rio Hotels; city tours; vacation packages; costumes for Rio Carnival; packages to Rio during New Years; and tickets to Rio Carnival events, including the Samba Parades, Carnival Balls, and shuttle transfers.

The websites also provide in depth information about Rio de Janeiro including practical travel tips, restaurants guides, nightlife suggestions, photos, interactive maps and directions. What's more, RioCarnival.net features pages for each of the premier samba schools, complete with image galleries, information about the schools' history, community service projects and their official samba songs.