Rio – happiest city in the world… and with good reason!
This year, Rio de Janeiro was named the happiest city in the world, according to a Forbes Magazine which surveyed 10,000 people throughout twenty countries. It also received the title of the most courteous city in the world, according to the Universities of Michigan and California. And one of the city’s major tourist attractions, Christ the Redeemer, was elected one of the new Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 2008.
And if that wasn’t already enough, it’s just recently received the news that it’s to be the host city for the 2016 Olympics. The increase in foreign tourists to Brazil in 2016 is already projected to be 10-15% greater than the previous year (2015). In previous years, investments and works generated in Olympic host cities have boosted tourism, especially in regards to business travellers. Watch this space for future developments…!
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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I presume this survey pre-dates the Olympics news, which gives Rio an even bigger boost – and a great first for South America. I’m producing a ‘World Tube Map’ for 2050, which re-sizes countries according to their ‘relevance’, so I might have to start giving Brazil a bit more space!
Hi James
Yes, the Forbes survey pre-dated the Olympics news, so presumably their advantage ahead of the second-placed happiest nation might have widened now.
Paul
PS – Goodness, you look like you’ve been busy there!
brazil has it all happening. where were the second place in the survey?
Would love to experience carnival in Rio, have no idea what I would put in second place…