ORLANDO, Fla. – A new developer has plans to bring a 200,000-square-foot mall aimed at attracting Brazilian tourists to International Drive.
Alejandro Pezzini with Perfumeland says the mall will employ about 100 peoplen across nearly a dozen stores.
"Right now we are seeing an influx of Brazilians and down in Brazil it's a lot easier to get a visa than it was before," said Pezzini.
To capitalize on the inlfux of tourists Pezzini says the mall will have a Perfumeland store, a salon, a vitamin store, a sunglasses store, a restaurant, and even a Brazilian bikini store.
Developers are focusing on high end luxury items because as Pezzini points out, Brazilian tourists spend a lot more on average than other tourists.
"The average U.S. traveler spends about $600 on their trip, the average Brazilian tourists spends about $5,000," said Pezzini.
Marketing the store is also a major concern. Pezzini says his company has contracted with busing services to bring in tourists from Miami, installed a travel agency inside of the mall itself and paid for commercials to air in both Brazil and Argentina.
The new mall is located in the Orlando Crossing shopping area near the intersection of Grand National and International Drive.
Once fully open Pezzini expects the stores to attract 45,000 tourists by June.