Brazil Reports Record Visitor Arrivals in October

Brazil Reports Record Visitor Arrivals in October

Brazil posted record visitor arrival numbers for October 2011, with 799,763 visitors for the month, a 10 percent increase over the 726,584 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2010, according to statistics from Embratur, the country’s tourism board.

Brazil also posted record-high foreign expenses of $530 million in October, a 21 percent increase over the $438 million that entered the country through international travel in October 2010. Since January, international tourists have contributed more than $5.5 billion to Brazil’s economy, a 16 percent increase over the same period in 2010.

Dino said Embratur is seeking to double international tourists from 5 million to 10 million by 2020, while increasing international tourism revenue to $18 billion, and growing Rio de Janeiro’s hotel infrastructure by 40 percent, as the country prepares for the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. The U.S. is the second-largest source of tourists for Brazil, according to Embratur.