There is a new tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If you want to go to the city of Rio de Janeiro and queue for photos under the Christ the Redeemer statue, ride the Sugarloaf cable car or sit on one of the steps of the Serralon Staircase, be prepared to queue for the “Terra del Tianmen”.
More than just an experience, it has become a trend on social media, with the goal of climbing to the roof of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela and posing for a distant drone, revealing an impressive view of the miles of favelas intersecting with Rio de Janeiro’s stunning coastline.
Queues can last up to two hours and the moment captured in the drone video costs between 25 and 33 euros (150 to 200 reais).
The initiative comes from tourism company Na Favela Turismo, whose founder, 42-year-old Renan Monteiro, told AFP it was all about showing “the positive side of the favelas”.
That’s because you can be part of the trend only by signing up for a complete slum tour package. “They can only get there through a guided tour through a maze of narrow alleys, while residents go about their daily lives, stopping to visit local artists or watch capoeira performances,” Monteiro explained to AFP.
A tourist sits on a chair in a Rocinha favela being photographed by drone as Rio de Janeiro sees a record number of international visitors -AP Photo
Monteiro explained to the French news agency that the tours were guided and safe, as many tourists “went the wrong way” without any supervision.
In 2017, a Spanish tourist was shot dead during a confrontation between police and drug dealers.
To do this, the company has created a mobile app where guides and the community can exchange information to cancel or postpone trips in the event of police action.
“Romanticizing poverty”
It didn’t take long for the trend to attract criticism, accusing its creators of “romanticizing poverty” and fantasizing about a place where drug lords are king.
“We are not romanticizing poverty. We want to change the prejudices that exist in people’s minds,” Monteiro told AFP.
The company also claims it cares about changing the lives of people in the slums, creating jobs such as “300 local tour guides and 10 drone pilots”, he told AFP.
The owners of 26 terraces and penthouses in Rocinha and another slum, Vidigal, also receive extra income from allowing tourists to visit.
Drone pilot Pedro Lucas, 19, told AFP the activity broadened his horizons and helped him find a job. “It changed my life a lot. I was paid well and it would be great if more people from the favelas had the same opportunity,” he admits.
The trend has arrived in Portugal
As always, social media trends transcend borders, beyond Rio favelas and countries, and the trend has reached across the ocean to Portugal, but in a slightly different way than in Rocinha.
The Public Security Police (PSP) is one of the public agencies to adopt this trend and has produced a video, which has gone viral, using the “Rocinha Trend” technique to emphasize that the police are always there.
“Public security police officers are on the streets every day and possess the most diverse skills – from patrolling to maintaining order, from community policing to criminal investigations – and are ready to deal with different realities and challenges,” the publication wrote.
Strangely, not all internet users understood the joke or the connection to the trend and criticized the song choice. However, following trends means copying a popular theme or challenge and adapting it to your reality.
This is what many influencers and entertainment, lifestyle and travel websites have done.
It is no coincidence that Brazil and Portugal join forces, it is through the travel and lifestyle Instagram page “dofadoaosamba” that the city of Barreiro, south of the Tagus River, once famous for its industry, has also joined the trend and showcased one of its most iconic and recently restored areas: the mill.
FC Porto were one of the clubs to join in the fun and posted a video in which their mascot was seen entering the Estadio del Fiorentina and sitting in his seats as if they were about to watch a match. The drone starts to move away and we see the pitch, the size of the stadium and its location in the city.
Currently, the city of Porto and the north of the country has become one of the favorites of this trend among Internet users, as shown in this video of photographer and videographer Paulo Ribeiro, who shot a drone in Ribeira, one of the most popular tourist areas in Invicta.
Still in the north, digital content creator Viniamancio puts Braga on the “Map of Rocinha”. The drone flew high into the sky from the Rua do Souto Arch, also known as Porta Nova, showing off incredible aerial images of the city center.
The “Visit Leiria” website, the official tourism and event promotion website of the city of Leiria, has also joined in. A drone took off from the top of a building to show the beauty of a city rising after a storm that hit the center of the country.
This phenomenon is also seen around the world, from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the historic centers of Europe. The Internet has proven once again that it can do these things: turn a simple video into a massive digital community.
