Brasilia – Even with the hike of the dollar, the amount spent by Brazilians in international trips increased in January in comparison to both December and with the same month in 2014. These expenses reached US$ 2.207 billion, an increase over the US$ 2.123 billion of December and the US$ 2.12 billion of January 2014. In comparison to both of these periods, there was an increase of roughly 4%, according to the Brazilian Central Bank.
In the cumulative period of 2014 January to December, the amount spent by Brazilian in international trips reached US$ 25.608 billion, a record compared to previous years.
The head of the Economic Department of the Central Bank, Tulio Maciel, assess that the national income growth and the advanced trip planning aided the context. “In 2014, we had real income growth, as shown by the IBGE [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics]. Particularly in the case of the trips, it’s important to remember that the majority of the travel packs are planned in advance. The exchange rate [with the dollar] at the end of the year [2014] reached R$ 2.64, but in September it stood at R$ 2.33”, he said.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
