Brazil is seeing a shift from lifestyle property buying to investors seeking a purchase that it likely to rise in value as the country hosts the football world cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

Once the secret of a select few adventurous holiday home buyers attracted by the year round sunshine, deserted beaches and party atmosphere, Brazil is now topping the list for serious property investors who wish to cash in on the boom.

The Brazilian government is also putting more effort into attracting foreign real estate investors. ADIT, the Association for inward investment in real estate and tourism, has announced that it is widening its influence to cover the 27 states of the whole of Brazil and not just the nine states of the north east region.

As a result is name has been changed from ADIT Nordeste to ADIT Brasil and it will also broaden its fields of activity to include residential and commercial property based investments, hospitality, real estate tourism and logistics.

The organisation will also strengthen its presence in the environmental sector, with the aim of creating legal security to advance real estate and tourism developments across the country.

The announcement comes exactly four years after the Government funded Association was founded. It was formed in June 2006 in order to drive forward the north east’s tourism and real estate development. Before then, there was no official body representing the interests of these sectors.

ADIT Brasil attracts foreign direct investment in land and real estate projects by introducing the most reputable Brazilian developers, architects, lawyers and related businesses to international investors including hoteliers and resort groups and encouraging the formation of working partnerships.

The association holds an annual conference, exhibition and business networking event called Brasil Invest (formerly known as Nordeste Invest). The event has become a milestone in the industry. Its fifth conference in May 2010 in Natal it attracted more international investors than ever before. Some 120 foreign investors attended and met with Brazilian companies in the real estate and tourism sectors, with parties agreeing an anticipated R$ 1.8 billion of business.