São Paulo – Iguaçu National Park, one of the main postcards of Brazil, continues attracting foreign tourists. Last year, 616,900 went to the park, growth of 2.7% over 2007. The figures were disclosed yesterday (15) by the Brazilian Environment and Renewable Natural Resource Institute (Ibama).
According to a press statement disclosed by the Ministry of Tourism, South Americans and Europeans were the tourists who most visited the park in 2008, with Argentina, Spain, the United States, Paraguay and France being the countries that sent the largest volume of tourists. The country that presented the greatest growth in terms of visitors last year was Japan, with 37.7% more than in 2007.
Iguaçu is the second tourist destination most visited by foreigners in Brazil. The region is only behind Rio de Janeiro, according to figures disclosed in the 2007 International Tourist Demand Study, promoted by the Economic Research Institute Foundation (Fipe).
The Park
In 1986, Unesco declared Iguaçu National Park World Heritage, with one of the main forestry reserves in South America.
Located in the far west of the state of Paraná, 17 kilometres away from the city of Foz do Iguaçu, the park received this name as it includes an important part of the Iguaçu river, some 50 kilometres of the course, and the world renowned Iguaçu Falls. The Falls, which form a 2.7 kilometre long semicircle and have falls of as much as 72 metres, are the main tourist attraction of the site.
*Translated by Mark Ament