According to the Brazilian Ministry of Toursim, Rio 2016 boosted arrivals to the country by an additional 157,000 from 1st July to 15th August, to reach a total of 541,000 international tourists.

 

The ministry believes that the visa waiver for visitors from the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia benefitted 74.7% of foreigners who came to Brazil for the Games.

 

The data comes from a Ministry of Tourism survey released on Thursday 18th August, which reportedly showed that the policy of promoting Brazil and of an international tourism incentive, advocated by Embratur (Brazilian Tourism Institute), is being effective and has increased tourism in Brazil from around the world.

 

According to the study, which evaluated the experiences of foreign and Brazilian visitors during the Olympic period, 8 out of every 10 international tourists surveyed confirmed that the visa waiver would facilitate a possible return to Brazil.

 

 

“We were surprised by the very favourable data,” said President of the Institute, Vinícius Lummertz.

 

“The issues that arose before, such as the risks of holding the Games in Brazil, are behind us. This shows the satisfaction felt by international tourists with Brazil, as well as the feeling of happiness felt by Brazilians regarding the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This positive evaluation will bring good results in the future, as much for leisure tourism as well as for business, new investments and the injection of resources into Brazil.”

 

The study also revealed that the Internet was the main source of information for 63.4% of foreign tourists for organising their trip. With the launch of Embratur’s Visit Brasil portal this week, Lummertz believes that the tool should attract and bring tourists in other countries closer.