Tourism Growing In Brazil The number of foreign tourists visiting Brazil in August was up 5.5 percent from August 2012 to 346,141. The rate of growth was higher than the global average during the same period, which was 5 percent. The figures were released on Friday, September 13, by the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur). “We are well on our way to surpassing the mark of 6 million foreigners a year for the first time in the country’s history,” said Embratur chairman Flávio Dino in a press statement. The countries that had the greatest increase in tourists entering Brazil were Mexico (up 32 percent from August 2012) and Colombia (up 30.4 percent from August 2012). “The increased influx of Mexicans and Colombians is noteworthy because it shows the consolidation of a trend,” said Dino. In July, Mexican tourist influx was up 103.5 percent. In June, it was up 77.7 percent. To the Embratur chairman, mega sporting events in Brazil should increase tourism from those countries due to the strong interest of Colombians and Mexicans in soccer and others sports. “These are new markets which are being explored, hence the investment we made in Goal to Brazilevents in Mexico and in Colombia, where we held two exhibitions, one last year and another this year,” says Dino, regarding travel promotions held in those countries. Tourism from Europe also increased in August, with the biggest increases coming from the United Kingdom (up 15.1 percent). Next were France (12.6 percent) and Spain (10.9 percent). The Brazilian airports that saw the highest increase in foreign arrivals were those of Brasília (8.7 percent), Rio de Janeiro (6.7 percent) and São Paulo (5.2 percent). Tourists in Brazil normally go to places such as the Amazon; the coastal areas of the Northeast; the Central Plateau and the Pantanal. The historical area of Minas Gerais also attracts tourists as well as the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Florianopolis in the Southeast. São Paulo is the preferred destination for people who are looking for business connections. The Pampas area and the south of the country, while colder than the rest of the country are also a target for tourists searching for unique landscapes and European architecture. In Brazil, companies responsible for the organization of events grew 23.3 percent last year, appearing ahead of travel agencies (21.9 percent) and fair promoters (14.9 percent). The growth is a result of the exposure of Brazil in other countries, due to sporting events – the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games. Over the past eight years, the number of international events increased from 28 to 360 in Brazil. With this, the country had the fifth highest growth in international events in 2012, surpassing the volume of events in Italy, France, Germany, and the UK. The cities hosting the World Cup in 2014 will have other activities during competition days. They will receive presentations and exhibitions expanding local cultural programming. The initiative comes from the Ministry of Culture and is part of the Strategic Plan for the mega sporting events that will take place in Brazil in the years to come. The plan is based on aspects such as legacy, cultural heritage, cultural content, and qualification. Some statistics on Tourism in Brazil: State Percentage of Tourists São Paulo 38.6% Rio de Janeiro 19.2% Paraná 13.8% Rio Grande do Sul 13.3% Others 8.7% Santa Catarina 3.3% Bahia 3.1% Position Country Market Participation Number of Tourists 1. Argentina 29.33 1,593,775 2. United States 10.95 594,947 3. Uruguay 4.81 261,204 4. Germany 4.45 241,739 5. Italy 4.22 229,484 6. Chile 4.00 217,200 7. France 3.83 207,890 8. Paraguay 3.55 192,730 9. Spain 3.50 190,392 10. Portugal 3.38 183,728 11. England 2.75 149,564 12. Colombia 1.68 91,345 13. Peru 1.60 86,795 14. Bolivia 1.57 85,429 15. Netherlands 1.33 72,162 16. Canada 1.29 70,358 17. Switzerland 1.21 65,951 18. Mexico 1.19 64,451 19. Japan 1.16 63,247 20. Venezuela 1.05 57,261 [This article appeared on the Brazil/Arab News Agency website and was translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum and edited by CIE. Tourism statistics come from The Brazil Business website.]
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:12:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015