Brazil´s Travel Industry Snared Far More Profits in 2004

The arrival of foreign tourists to Brazil all through 2004 brought as man as $3.2 billion worth of profits, up a whopping 30 percent from the volume of gains reaped in 2003.

According to a report issued by the Central Bank, the face value of that hard-currency heap could be even bigger because the assessment is limited to banking operations at official exchange rates and purchases of international credit cards.

However, the Brazilian Tourism Institute (EMBRATUR) is still waiting with great anticipation for the yearend tabs of 2004, confident the giant South American nation has this time around beat all previous records as far as visitors and profits are concerned: as many as $4 billion in gains and 4.9 million foreign sunbathers.

The amount of overseas visitors to Brazil has been growing in a piecemeal fashion for the last three years, jumping from 3.7 million in 2002 to 4.1 million in 2003 and on to 4.9 million in 2004. Revenues in 2003 totaled $3.4 billion, according to stats provided by EMBRATUR.

Brazil is no longer being exclusively advertised overseas as a sun-and-sand destination, but rather as a place teeming with many other allures, like cultural attractions worth taking a firsthand look at.

However, the country needs to tackle with a few pressing issues, such as rampant urban crime, that are definitely painting a blurry picture of Brazil abroad.

Rio de Janeiro, one of the top travel destinations nationwide, holds one of the world´s most notoriously high homicide rates with 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

In addition to this increasingly higher city violence –mostly clustered in slums and skid rows- beachgoers usually fall prey of criminals, thieves and other wrongdoers as well.

Regardless of those good final numbers on the board, the results are slightly shy of the projected goals for 2004. Authorities had estimated some 5 million tourists and $4.5 billion worth of profits.