Editors of magazine place Jalapão among adventure tourism routes

Thiago Sá

Do want to experience great adventures? Brazil was chosen as the best destination of 2009 by the passionate for adventure and radical sports. This was the opinion of editors of the National Geographic Adventure magazine, published on the site of ABETA - Brazilian Association of Enterprises of Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism (www.abeta.com.br), which also highlighted the attraction in Nepal as a segment. Jalapão is Tocantins’ route found among the best natural destinations hiding in the Amazon roadmaps. Other Brazilian destinations mentioned were, Chapada Diamantina, Chapada dos Veadeiros, Chapada dos Guimarães, Estrada Real, Fernando de Noronha, Florianopolis, Foz do Iguacu, Atlantic Florest, Serra Gaúcha, Lençóis Maranhenses and Pantanal.

Nominated by editors of the magazine, which has more than 2.4 million readers in the world, "Brazil was selected for its consistent improvements in infrastructure, which has facilitated transport to the heart of the Amazon, the wildlife of the Pantanal and countless other places hidden by the white sand beaches," says Brian Kinkade, director of travel and tourism of National Geographic Adventure.

This is the second time Brazil receives the title. The first time, in 2006, when five countries were selected. This year, the committee granted the title to only two countries. In September 2008 Brazil hosted for the first time, in Sao Paulo, one of the biggest global Tourism Adventure forums, the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS), bringing through a program, Brasil Caravan of Embratur, about a hundred Adventure Tourism professionals from all over the world, besides journalists, to get to know before the meeting the Brazilian roadmaps.

To Embratur, the title reinforces and consolidates the image of Brazil as a top destination, and also encourages tourism agencies as Diego Sommer, 40 degrees in the Cerrado, which operates in Jalapão. "More people will be interested in visiting Brazil and the title is an incentive for us to be better prepared and bring the best in adventure tourism”, he mentioned.

For “4 Elements” agent, Massimo Desiati, the choice of Brazil as the best destination comes as the result of an intensive work done by agencies, which still must be pursued. For Tocantins this is a great achievement because our routes are of adventure. The two participated in international committees promoted by the Tourist Development Agency in 2008.