What will American tourists do in Brazil during the World Cup?

The Americans will be the largest group of foreign tourists coming to the World Cup. According to the second to last information from FIFA, 2.5 million tickets had been sold of which 154 thousand were for U.S. residents. In the last batch over 126,000 tickets had been sold but FIFA did not disclose buyer’s countries.

Considering similar percentages in the previous ticket sales steps, it can be estimated at around 160,000 tickets purchased by Americans. By the average of the games to be accompanied, the total number of tourists would range between 40 to 60 thousand, each of these attending 3 to 4 games.

A surprise yes, but not that much.

The U.S. is seen as a country of baseball or football games dominating the field of interest of sport fans. Basketball would be the most popular sport. The football, which is played in Brazil and the most popular sport in the world, is called soccer in the USA. There it is still a minor sport, with poor coverage by the sports media. 

Research indicate that two thirds of Americans are not interested and will not accompany the Cup. Seems a negative fact, but it is not. Seen by the optimistic side of the glass half full, one third could be interested and it is about 100 million. The large majority with middle and high income, with sufficient means to pay for travel, accommodation, and even the expensive tickets, ranging from $ 90 to $ 175, reaching $ 1,000 in the final match. According to the OECD Americans are who spend more on sports events from their personal income.

         

Within this universe, 60,000 is just "peanuts": 0.06%

But what makes these 60 thousand be willing to come to Brazil to accompany the World Cup? Could it be the TV and the globalization? Probably the best interest of Americans fans is on European soccer, not by location, less still South American.

Some of the American fans have been in South Africa at World Cup 2010 where they were the largest contingent of foreign tourists, with 30,175 arrivals, about 10% of total tourists, even surpassing the African tourists number itself, far above the Brazilian that totaled 14,815 tourists, below the English ones which reached 22,802.

 Now they have the opportunity to follow the global event, in a close country, the matches of their favorite teams, or favorite players. How Cristiano Ronaldo plays in Spain, but will come to Brazil for the Portuguese national team. Or Messi who’ll play for the Argentina national team.

Both Brazil, like Argentina, strong Cup candidates, have selections of European players. 

But there are still fanatics who believe that the U.S. team will survive the “Group of Death”, in which US team is in the first phase, with Germany, Portugal and Ghana, and win the Cup. They’d be the organized fan club supporters of the U.S. national team, with about 18,000 members, following the team in every game, probably coming on chartered aircraft.

Although FIFA has not disclosed the distribution of tickets purchased by Americans by city or games, indications are that the increased demand for games is not to follow the U.S. team.

Since FIFA just announces that tickets were sold to U.S. residents, regardless of city and nationality, it is possible that many of the buyers are immigrants, including Brazilians living in the USA.

The first step of matches was established by draw and many were portioned with tickets for smaller games, where demand and competition was smaller. According to the website of the Municipality of Salvador, many Americans were left with tickets to the game Bosnia x Iran, in the Fonte Nova Stadium, on June 25 and for which tickets are still left.  What means that, on top of being unlucky, nobody will buy their tickets but at high discounts. The lucky ones although will see Spain vs Netherlands in Salvador on June 13.

In light of curiosity to see and track selections, a large proportion of Americans may be limited to the Brazilian Northeast.

Not everyone will stay the whole season. A part will only come to one or more phase of groups. Another will just come to the stage of The Grand Finale.

Another hypothesis raised by American columnists would be the interest of some American tourists by sex tourism.

Anyway there will be an “American Invasion” in Brazil during the Cup.