São Paulo – Spending by foreign tourists in Brazil totalled US$ 5.3 billion last year. The sum was the second highest in the historical series of the Brazilian Central Bank. In comparison with expenditures in 2008, when total spending was US$ 5.78 billion, the figure represents a decline of 8%.
According to the president of the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur), Jeanine Pires, the figure was good for a year when international tourism suffered the effects of the world crisis, which affected the world‘s leading tourist-generating countries, particularly the European ones.
Tourist spending grew 114% in comparison with 2003, the year in which Embratur started working to promote Brazilian tourism abroad, targeting an increase in length of stay and spending by foreign tourists in the country. “We started out 2010 with this expansion in the inflow of funds compared with 2003, which is an exceptional result, compared with most countries in the world,” said Jeanine.
The result recorded in December was also the second best ever for the month, with an inflow of US$ 516 million, representing a reduction of 1.95% over the same month of 2008.
On the other hand, Brazilians spent US$ 10.89 billion abroad last year, representing a 0.59% decline compared with 2008.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
