São Paulo – The Ministry of Tourism and the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur) disclosed on Monday (10) a research about the profile of foreign tourists that was developed by the Economic Research Institute Foundation (Fipe). The study shows that 96% of visitors coming to the country plan to return and that the number of tourists granting the country top grade has risen from 26.6% to 31.5%.
The director of the study and research department at the Ministry of Tourism, José Francisco de Salles Lopes, was surprised with the good impression that Brazil causes on visitors. “What is more important is the positive evaluation they made of hospitality. Of the total number of tourists [interviewed], 85% said that Brazil equalled or overcame expectations,” said Lopes.
Research “Study of International Demand on Brazil” was promoted by the Fipe at the request of the Ministry of Tourism and Embratur, and was developed from January to October 2010, a year in which Brazil received 5.1 million foreign tourists. During the 10 months, over 300 researchers worked in 15 airports and 11 land frontiers. In the period, 39,000 interviews were made.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, foreign visitors were interviewed in the airports of Manaus, Belem, Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Maceió, Salvador, Porto Seguro, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba, Florianópolis and Porto Alegre, as well as border checks in Chuí, Jaguarão, Santana do Livramento, Uruguaiana and São Borja, in Rio Grande do Sul, Dionísio Cerqueira, Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná, Ponta Porã and Corumbá, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Epitaciolândia, in Acre, and Pacaraima, in Roraima. The airports researched represent 99% of the international air tourist flow in the country and the land border checks, 90% of the land flow.
Still according to the study, 46.1% of foreigners come to Brazil on tourism and 23.3% come on business. The others come to visit relatives or for other reasons. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguaçu, in Paraná, are the cities that receive most tourists. Most of those travelling to São Paulo visit the capital on business, to visit fairs and to participate in conventions. Regarding Rio de Janeiro, the city attracts tourists on leisure. Foz do Iguaçu attracts those seeking nature tourism, according to Lopes.
Although Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguaçu and São Paulo stand for the main attractions, Paraty, in Rio de Janeiro recorded growth of 37% in foreign tourist flow as against 2004, when the study started being promoted. Cairu, in Bahia, attracted 64% more tourists. Lopes stated that marketing campaigns of these cities are the main reason for their growth among foreign destinations.
According to the study, 46% of visitors from other countries come from South America, 31% are European and 15% come from North America. Argentina and the United States answer to 40% of the tourists that Brazil receives. Lopes recognizes that Brazil still receives few tourists from the Middle East and says that the country needs to make an effort to attract them. “We must invest in them, as they are have high buying power,” he said.
The Europeans are among the tourists that spend most on their travels to Brazil. They leave US$ 1,614 during their visits, which last, on average, 24.3 days. They spend an average of three times more than South Americans, who tend to stay in Brazil for 10.3 days. The North Americans spend on average 19.5 days in Brazil, with expenses of US$ 1,382 in the country during their stay. The error margin in the research is 5%.
*Translated by Mark Ament
