São Paulo – The number of foreign tourists visiting Brazil in August was up 5.5% from August 2012, at 346,141. The rate of growth is higher than the global average during the period, which was 5%. The figures have been released this Friday (13th) 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 from which tourist issuance to Brazil increased the most were Mexico (up 32% from August 2012) and Colombia (up 30.4% from August 2012). “The increased influx of Mexicans and Colombians is noteworthy, because it shows the consolidation of a trend,” says Dino, according to the statement. In July, Mexican tourist influx to Brazil was up 103.5%. In June, it was up 77.7%.
“These are new markets which are being consolidated, hence the investment in Goal to Brazil events in Mexico, in May, and in Colombia, where we held two editions, one last year and another this year,” says Dino, regarding events to promote Brazil as a travel destination held in those countries.
To the Embratur chairman, mega sports events in Brazil should increase tourist flows from those countries due to the strong interest of Colombians and Mexicans in soccer and others sports.
Tourist flows from Europe increased the most from the United Kingdom (up 15.1%). Next were France (12.6%) and Spain (10.9%). The Brazilian airports which saw the highest increase in foreign arrivals were those of Brasília (8.7%), Rio de Janeiro (6.7%) and São Paulo (5.2%).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
