Brasília – Expenses of Brazilians on travels abroad totalled US$ 2.01 billion in July, a value 10% lower than in the same month last year (US$ 2.235 billion), informed today (23) the Central Bank of Brazil (BC).
Although July is a holiday period, the recent appreciation of the dollar as against the Brazilian real is not stimulating international travel, according to the head of the Economic department at the BC, Tulio Maciel. “Expenses with travels abroad grew much in 2011. Of course exchange rates favoured that, and with the modification in exchange rates, we will have lower expenses,” said Maciel, adding that in July last year one dollar cost around R$ 1.56, while last month each dollar was costing R$ 2.03.
According to Maciel, reduction in expenses of Brazilians abroad could be lower, but the growth in revenues and employment and the stimulus of other countries to tourism, at a moment of economic crisis, provided incentives to travels. “[Expenses] did not react significantly as we have other factors involved,” he added.
In the first seven months of the year, international travel expenses totalled US$ 12.712 billion, as against US$ 12.476 billion from January to July 2011.
Preliminary figures for this month, up to the 21st, show that expenses of Brazilians abroad totalled US$ 1.267 billion. In the period, expenses of foreigners in Brazil totalled US$ 371 million.
In July, expenses of foreigners in Brazil reached US$ 546 million, as against US$ 476 million in the same month last year. From January to July, the total was US$ 4.017 billion, as against US$ 3.749 billion in the first seven months of last year.
*Tradução de Mark Ament
