Hot Topics from Rio! – Rio Paralympics 2016 Observation Report –
Hello! This is PR Sunny-chan!
Today’s blog comes from SSU members who are currently on-site observing the Rio Paralympics! We’ve received a report from far-off Rio, so let’s dive right in!
Rio Paralympics 2016 On-Site Observation Report!
Hello everyone in Japan! This is N from the Sports Division.
In September 2013, Tokyo was selected to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Three years have passed since then, and while sports are receiving increasing social attention in Japan in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, this summer on the other side of the world, the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and Paralympics are being held, with top athletes captivating audiences worldwide.
SUNNY SIDE UP, which has been involved in various sports initiatives, conducted an on-site observation of the Rio Paralympics. News and social media have already spread information about the Games and athletes’ achievements to Japan. In this blog, we will share part of our on-site observations outside the competition venues, focusing on how the city of Rio came alive during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
One notable feature that energizes the city during the Olympic and Paralympic Games is the hospitality houses operated by various countries, cities, and corporations. Among them, the “House of Switzerland Brazil 2016,” operated by the Swiss government, attracted significant attention.
Opening in time for the Olympics, the Swiss House was set up on the shores of Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon near Copacabana, one of Rio’s famous tourist destinations, and became a popular hospitality house attracting attention from local residents and visitors from across Brazil and beyond. Hospitality houses are designed with various strategic objectives by their host organizations. The Swiss House had a clear purpose: to disseminate information about Switzerland, a tourism powerhouse, and promote travel to Switzerland. Inside the Swiss House, various experiences were offered to help visitors discover the appeal of Switzerland.
According to Nicolas Bideau, Director of the Swiss House, “A survey on Switzerland’s recognition in Brazil conducted before the previous FIFA World Cup in Brazil showed that awareness of Switzerland was virtually zero.” Additionally, when we asked locals about their image of Switzerland, we learned that in Brazil, Switzerland is associated with “politicians depositing their corruption proceeds and hidden assets in Swiss banks.” This background highlights the role of hospitality houses in disseminating positive information.
Inside the Swiss House, visitors could enjoy Swiss specialties such as beer and food,
public viewings using large screens, and tourism promotion videos,
Furthermore, there was a special plastic skating rink and track and field experience booths for children, designed to appeal to a diverse range of visitors.
A seminar booth was also set up inside the venue, and during our visit, a Swiss wine and cheese tasting seminar was being held.
These initiatives encourage visitors to spend more time at the Swiss House, enabling more effective penetration of the Swiss brand and information dissemination.
Additionally, a partnership was established between Switzerland’s cable cars, one of its tourism resources, and the cable car leading to Corcovado Hill, a tourist destination in Rio de Janeiro, offering a promotion where presenting a Corcovado cable car ticket in Switzerland provides a 50% discount on cable car tickets. With such a clear objective, the promotions are equally well-defined. Incidentally, the Swiss House recorded over 500,000 visitors during the Olympic period alone.
Japan will host the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020. By strategically operating communication hubs that disseminate information—not only through hospitality houses by other countries and corporations, but also around competition venues and by local governments—we can promote tourism among foreign visitors to Japan and domestic tourists. SUNNY SIDE UP will continue to provide information not only about sporting events themselves, but also from the perspective of energizing cities and promoting initiatives involving various stakeholders.
