This summer of 2014, Brazil is the destination to be. With the annual Rio de Janeiro carnival wrapped up and the national arena spruced up for a football extravaganza, locals and global tourists are making a beeline to Brazil. Brazil is the place for the outdoors, for exploring and imbibing a nation filled with rich cultural heritage and a place for sun and lots of fun. But, there are certain etiquettes that are to be borne in mind, phrases that are part of the local lingo to help every tourist heading to Brazil, integrate with finesse with the Brazilian joie de vivre.
Pointers for the Brazilian Explorer:
– Widely spoken language – Portuguese
– Business interests – Business culture is largely Southern European with influences from Asia.
– First names are generally used to address persons, but titles are equally important as well.
– It is customary to greet with a kiss on each cheek. It is believed that the customary exchange can take up to 10 minutes to get out of a room.
– Brazilians expect to be greeted with a firm handshake with a strong eye contact.
– Punctuality can be a little lax in Brazil, do not take it as an attitude of rudeness and laziness.
– The lunch time is wide between 12:30 to 2:30 PM and dinner is between 8:30 to 10:30 PM, so do not be shocked if the lunch breaks and dinner appointments are long and well entertained with good conversations.
– Brazilians find the O.K. sign a little crass. The thumbs up gesture is widely used for approval.
– Clicking of the tongue and shaking of the head indicates disagreement or disapproval.
– On the business side of things, Brazilians take a great deal of time to review details.
Helpful Portuguese Phrases for tourists visiting Brazil:
– Do you speak English?
Fala inglês? [Fah-lah inn-glesh (formal)]
– What time is it?
Que horas são? [Queh o-rah-sh sah-oomm]
– I’m lost
Estou perdido – [Esh-toe per-dee-doo]
– Can you help me, please?
Pode ajudar-me, por favor? – [Po-deh azhu-dar-meh]
– How much? (asking the price of something)
Quanto custa? – [Kwan-toh coos-tah?
– I’m sorry!
Desculpe – [des-cool-peh]
– Cool!
Legal! – [lay-gah-oo]
Brazil is the place to go out and explore the outdoors and soak in the hospitable culture and friendliness. But certain etiquettes, phrases and norms have to be taken into consideration to have a truly enjoyable and pleasant stay in Brazil. With the football world cup coming up, the above mentioned pointers can enable any tourist heading to the joie de vivre nation to enjoy the destination to its very best!
Brazil’s topography, ethnicity and cultural heritage widely welcome all tourists. With the upcoming football world cup, the spotlight is on the Brazilian hospitality industry and the world is watching to experience the Brazilian brilliance to its maximum!
Hoteliers in Brazil also need to be well prepared to provide the travelers with the best experience. Brazilian hotels are increasingly incorporating cloud based pms to ease their operations so that they can focus on enhancing the guest experience.