FIFA President Sepp Blatter acknowledged to the Swiss newspaper 24
Heures that Brazil is “the country that is the furthest behind” in World
Cup preparations in his four decades of experience.
Five months out from the World Cup, Brazilian authorities seem unsure about how to handle the crunch of international visitors, many of whom are expected to rely on air travel for the month-long tournament.
The chief of staff for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said this week that a presidential decree was being considered to open more air routes to foreign carriers, partly aimed at keeping down soaring prices.
The state-run tourism agency Embratur, which expects about 500,000 visitors, also said foreign carriers may be needed to help move traffic to the 12 host cities.
Hotel prices and air fares are also sky rocketing with the government promising a crackdown on price gouging.
Brazil is spending about $3.6 billion on new stadiums or refurbishing old ones, and the price keeps increasing with cost overruns and worker overtime.
Air travel is only part of a long list of problems surrounding the World Cup, which opens on June 12 in Sao Paulo and ends on July 13 in Rio.
Only six of the 12 World Cup venues are ready, and at least two of the six may not be delivered until April. This leaves less time for television broadcasters to prepare. It also causes confusion in ensuring that tickets correspond to stadium seating configurations, which may not be known until the last minute.
Five months out from the World Cup, Brazilian authorities seem unsure about how to handle the crunch of international visitors, many of whom are expected to rely on air travel for the month-long tournament.
The chief of staff for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said this week that a presidential decree was being considered to open more air routes to foreign carriers, partly aimed at keeping down soaring prices.
The state-run tourism agency Embratur, which expects about 500,000 visitors, also said foreign carriers may be needed to help move traffic to the 12 host cities.
Hotel prices and air fares are also sky rocketing with the government promising a crackdown on price gouging.
Brazil is spending about $3.6 billion on new stadiums or refurbishing old ones, and the price keeps increasing with cost overruns and worker overtime.
Air travel is only part of a long list of problems surrounding the World Cup, which opens on June 12 in Sao Paulo and ends on July 13 in Rio.
Only six of the 12 World Cup venues are ready, and at least two of the six may not be delivered until April. This leaves less time for television broadcasters to prepare. It also causes confusion in ensuring that tickets correspond to stadium seating configurations, which may not be known until the last minute.