the building of a bridge in 1949 connecting ilha do governador to the rest of the city and ilha do fundão resulted in a major increase of local tourism, and thriving local commerce.

in the 1950's the waters of the bay were still significantly cleaner, and local tourism on the island thrived, especially from the northern zone of rio de janeiro - the island was rich of flamboyants, gorgeous trees with red flowers that gave a characteristic look to the area.  

in 1952, the construction of the international airport led to the disappearance of other beaches, the closing of some neighborhoods, the appearance of favelas, and the re-routing of traffic within the island - this had a negative effect on the local tourism and commerce.