If tourism is really going to become a major economic activity in
Brazil, it is necessary that good air transport infrastructure be in
place, supported by a regulatory environment where airlines and
air traffic control do not operate under congested bottlenecks. The
terrible consequences of the two fatal accidents were felt not only
by the victims and their families, but also by a wide range of
tourism activities and destinations that struggled to survive during
the months where air transport system was not reliable. Tourists
were scared as a consequence of an unreliable system, not only in
terms of safety, but also of punctuality (Panosso Netto & Trigo,
2009). Investments should be made not only to those visible parts
of the infrastructure, such as airport terminals, but also in areas that
are crucial to safety and functionality of the system. The quote by
Gedeon presented at the beginning of this section, exemplifies the
mentality of many politicians that advocate for tourism in their
state or city, with investments made at one end of the system,
usually in the destination region. They forget that a vacation or
business trip begins at the major generating markets and that if
investments are not distributed throughout the whole transportation
system, tourists will not arrive.
In 2014, Brazil will host theWorld Cup Soccer