Italo Ferreira’s Gold Medal Leads To Economic Boost In His Hometown
“It has brought us so much and it is going to bring us more.”
After winning a Gold medal at surfing’s Olympic debut, Italo Ferreira flew straight from Japan to Baia Formosa, the small town on Brazil’s northeastern coast where he was raised.
Local business owners claim that Italo returned home with much more than just a medal, however.
According to Reuters:
Business owners there said the attention has brought them a windfall as the media, tourists and surf enthusiasts congregate to soak up the winning atmosphere.
“It’s a great success for the town,” said Cintia Santos, owner of a local bed and breakfast. “We struggled a lot during the pandemic, the city really survives off tourism and we were stuck for a long time. But now things are bouncing back.”
Rafael Alves, who runs a design business in the region, agreed. Alves was forced to shut down during the pandemic but he reopened as interest spiked due to Ferreria’s gold.
“The penny hasn’t dropped yet,” he said after selling 300 t-shirts with Ferreira’s picture on them. “It has brought us so much and it is going to bring us more.”
As it stands, Italo Ferriera is the lost loved person in surfing at the moment, and it’s pretty clear as to why.
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