The Brazilian market is ripe for development.
WITH a burgeoning economy and a population in excess of 200 million, Brazil seems ripe for development within the leisure and amusements sector.
Brazil is by far the largest country in South America and, in fact, it shares common borders with all but two of the continent’s other countries. The majority of its people (85 per cent) live in urban areas, with Sao Paulo (20 million) and Rio de Janeiro (12 million) its most populous cities. Last year saw the country’s economy contract 0.33 per cent, according to the Central Bank. However, this was the first year of negative growth since 2009 and official estimates suggested that in fact the economy may have actually grown slightly.
Brazil therefore appears to have defied the global economic downturn a few years ago and provides further cause for optimism. Last year’s FIFA World Cup, which brought around a million foreign visitors, showcased what the country has to offer as a tourist destination and with the Olympic Games set for Rio in 2016, the tourism ministry has big plans to develop new attractions. Within this landscape then, are clear opportunities for the development and expansion of Brazil’s leisure industry and, more specifically, its amusement business.
“The Brazilian amusement market has gone through a significant growth spurt, led by the expansion of shopping mall development,” said Peter Gustafson, US general manager at Sega. “Mall developers are creating ‘destination locations’ for families to spend their entire day in shopping, dining and entertaining. Some of these amusement centres are literally indoor theme parks, complete with roller coasters, Ferris wheels and other rides you’d expect to find in theme parks and carnivals.” Sega’s product range is “finding traction” throughout Brazil, he said, particularly in these large locations that demand several units of each game to create presentations that complement their massive facilities.
“The primary customer is the family – mostly parents with younger children,” he said.
Read the full article in the March issue of InterGame
