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The World Cup hasn't even been on for a week, yet Brazilian tourism officials have already declared it a great success.

"I think that the pessimists who were betting on a failure on our part need to revise" their views, Brazilian tourism official Carlos Magnavita remarked yesterday. While there had been fears that violent demonstrations and protesters — like this one captured live on CNN — would mar how Brazil is viewed on the global stage, Magnavita said they have mostly failed to materialize. Magnavita singled out the residents of Rio for praise, noting their "demonstration of civility" during the city's first game on Sunday.

Shaky public transportation, crumbling infrastructure, and lack of hospitality haven't been a problem, either, another top official noted. Brazil's Minister of Tourism, Vinicius Lages, said that what he is hearing from visitors has "been very positive." He said: "We haven't had any problems so far. Nothing serious."

Of course, there are another three weeks left...