By Vanessa Barbara
Published: November 8, 2013

Brazilians are trying hard to get ready to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Despite having a big territory rich with natural scenery, Brazil is not accustomed to many international visitors. The World Tourism Organization, which ranks tourist spending in different countries, puts it 39th on the list, behind much smaller countries like Lebanon, Croatia and Malaysia. Next year, the government expects tourism spending in Brazil to grow by 55 percent, thanks largely to the World Cup. But as that time draws near, the general feeling among my compatriots is one of disbelief (...). The prevailing feeling is captured by the expression “Imagina na Copa...” — Imagine during the Cup — spoken every time we see a 112-mile-long traffic jam, an overcrowded airport or the rising prices of hotels and flights. If things are already bad, imagine what they’ll be like during the World Cup.

Such pre-tournament pessimism is common. Last year the British were skeptical about the Olympics, which turned out to be O.K. (...)

And yet Brazilians are doing what we can to welcome tourists. (...)

_{Disponível em: www.nytimes.com. Acesso em: 13 fev. 2014.}

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