Carrier to begin Toronto-Rio route in December
Air Canada is preparing to host those who are seeking some sun, sand, sea and samba on their vacations.
The carrier will begin three-times-a-week Toronto-Rio de Janeiro service on Dec 4, using Dreamliners on the route, and both the carrier and Brazilian officials alike say they’re committed to making the upcoming route a success.
“This is a great initiative… We will maintain this flight,” Brazil’s Toronto consul-general told a Wednesday Toronto gathering celebrating the service. “Rio has history, Rio has culinary…Rio has nightlife…Rio has art. Rio has sophistication to offer you.”
Air Canada director of sales Ana Paula De Souza – a Rio native – urged travel agents on hand for the event to book the route: “Please sell Rio because I want that flight year-round.”
De Souza praised Rio as a “special city,” citing its scenery and its residents who are known for enjoying life.
Air Canada will use a Rio airport that serves 25 domestic destinations and has 85 shopping options and seven VIP lounges.
Rio is frequently labelled one of the world’s three most scenic cities and is famed for its beaches and lively annual carnival, with Leticia Santanna of the state tourist board in Rio telling the audience that she and her colleagues who promote Rio “don’t have the hardest job in the world.” Visitors swimming off Rio’s famed Copacabana beach may spot whales in the water, she said.
Santanna said the city is home to historic buildings, daily samba parties and those who enjoy nature will appreciate its having a “forest in the middle of the city.”
The annual carnival is “the biggest cultural celebration in the world,” she added. The lively celebration continues for days and attracts huge numbers of partiers.
January sees hot weather in Rio, making it great for Canadian travel agents who have clients “suffering from winter depression,” she stated.
Santanna added that Rio celebrates diversity and also said Canadian tourists will feel comfortable there, noting among other things that all are welcome in public hospitals.
Santanna said the region around Rio has the likes of appealing nature that includes waterfalls and coffee plantations.
Tourism official Luciana Fernandes also urged those planning to visit Rio not to remain entirely in the city during their stays, adding “the surrounding area has amazing nature.”
Meanwhile, De Souza thanked travel agents for standing by the carrier as it works to resolve labor issues with its flight attendants, stating their support “means a lot.”
