(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) Isaura Daniel
São Paulo – On the market for 90 years now, Lebanese inbound tour operator Saad Tours is now represented in Brazil. Hello Connections , a B2B tourism startup headquartered in São Paulo, has partnered up with Saad Tours and has been seeking deals for it in Latin America, including the Brazilian market, since early February.
In Brazil, Hello Connections works to link up Brazilian operators with products in exotic destinations. It offers the services of the businesses it represents to the people who create the packages made available to Brazilian tourists. The partnership was agreed on in January at Fitur, an industry show in Madrid, Spain.
One of the founders of Hello Connections, Taylise Fernandes, explains that the company had been looking for a Lebanese partner for a while, since it realized there was a demand in Brazil for trips to that country. She got in touch with Saad Tours. Over time, the Lebanese operator also felt the need to be present in Brazil somehow.
'We have seen a few requests go through and things flowed very well. Saad Tours responds superfast. We expect to connect them to as many operators as possible,' says Taylise. The operators associated with Hello Connections – Saad Tours included – handle everything from airport reception to shuttles, hotel reservations, meals meeting agencies' and travelers' requirements, tours, guides and events.
Saad Tours provides those services in Lebanon as well as in partner-sponsored tours in Jordan. Instead of massive numbers, the operator focuses on custom-tailored trips including cuisine, sports, religion, etc., as well as incentive trips offered by companies to reward employees. Saad Tours will be an exhibitor at WTM Latin America from April 2 to 4 in São Paulo.
Hello Connections works with destinations that require an inbound operator. 'These are not the kind of destinations where you just book it all online and go,' says Taylise. The Brazilian company also represents inbound operators in Morocco, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan and India, plus two hotels in Portugal.
Hello Connections has been active in Morocco, another Arab country, ever since it went into business, representing inbound leisure and incentive travel operator KTI Voyages. In Egypt – yet another Arab country –, it's partners with inbound operator Eagle Travel, which offers cruises of the River Nile. 'Egypt is booming, it's impressive,' says Taylise regarding demand from Brazil.
Taylise specializes in Communication, with 15 years' experience in strategic planning, corporate communications, social media and public relations. She attended a Business Administration course at Fundação Dom Cabral. Her Hello Connections partner Rogério Linguanotti has been in the industry for 20 years, working with exotic and eco-travel products and operations. Linguanotti holds a baccalaureate degree in Tourism and has taken courses in eco-tourism and exotic travels.
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