Brazil recorded the highest foreign tourist arrivals in five years in January, with 868,587 people entering Brazilian soil, the state-run Brazilian Tourism Agency (Embratur) disclosed yesterday.
The figure equates to 100,000 more visitors compared to the same month in 2019 and 2020, before the pandemic. In 2019 there were 756,883 foreign tourists and, in 2020, 750,457.
Compared to December last year, the growth was 109 percent, when 414,752 visitors came from abroad.
According to Embratur, Brazil’s resumption of post-pandemic tourism in 2022 was slow compared to the international average.
In 2022, Brazil received 2.689 million foreign visitors, almost half (55 percent less) the 4.84 million received in 2019, before the pandemic.
For the government, Brazil is experiencing a moment of reopening to the world, expecting to attract tourists this year, promoting dialogue and international cooperation.
Embratur estimates that more than 1.28 million foreign visitors will come to enjoy the Brazilian summer until the end of this month.
Most come from Argentina, the United States, Portugal, Chile, and Italy.
The main destinations are Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Florianópolis, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Curitiba, and Brasilia.
In January, foreigners spent 604 million dollars in the country, according to the Ministry of Tourism based on the Central Bank’s statistical bulletin.
The amount represents an increase of 3.8 percent compared to January 2020, the pre-pandemic period, when 582 million dollars were spent.
Compared to 2022, the growth was 43.5 percent.