High Demand During World Cup Makes São Paulo "Import" Luxury Prostitutes

06/24/2014 - 08h56

At the entrance and exit of the revolving door of a large luxury hotel in the south of São Paulo, at 11 p.m. on Saturday (14), almost everything was surreptitious. Almost.

A tall brunette with blue eyes, long legs and pouty lips hurried out of a Honda Civic with tinted windows. Ignoring the rules of the reception area, she leaned on the long wooden coffee counter, exchanged a few words in English with an elegant man in his forties and went with him into the elevator.

Fifty-seven minutes later, she was back in the lobby, just as impeccable and perfumed as before. She is the kind of girl you would easily see in high-end shopping centers like JK Iguatemi or Cidade Jardim.

"Until then, I thought Formula 1 was unbeatable, but the Cup is crazy," says Nashila, 23. She is one of the girls who helped fill out the group of laborers "imported" to work in escort agencies and nightclubs in times of high demand.

About 600,000 foreigners are currently visiting Brazil for the World Cup. At least 63,362 will come to São Paulo, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Nashila says the price for dates in luxury hotels is set at US$ 900. "Beauty counts, but I was also chosen by the agency because of my resume." She is fluent in English.

DOUBLE SHIFT

Usual partygoers at "micaretas" in Vila Madalena, foreign tourists are also pumping up other parties in São Paulo. Brothels like Café Photo, Romanza and Bahamas are seeing triple the number of customers.

Foreigners, with a reputation for trying to get a bargain on everything, including cooked corn sold by street vendors, are willing to spend an average of US$ 315 on one night out. And that's not including what they spend on the girls, which ranges from US$ 360 to US$ 900.

To attend to those interested in high-class prostitution, the work schedule follows the market: "It depends on the day, the World Cup games and even the result of each match," says paulista Tábatha (working name), 23, from Bahamas.

"For example, during the time leading up to the opening match of the Cup and the following weekend, it was busy. There was a lot of work in the luxury hotels and brothels."

Translated by JILL LANGLOIS

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