Rio 2016 spurred the arrival of 541,000 international tourists in Brazil from July 1st to August 15th, an increase of 157,000 people in relation to the same period of the previous year.

The visa waiver for visitors from the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia benefitted 74.7 per cent of foreigners who came to Brazil for the Games. 

The data comes from a ministry of tourism survey released on Thursday August 18th, which showed that the policy of promoting Brazil and of international tourism incentive, advocated by Embratur (Brazilian Tourism Institute), is effective and 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, eight out of every ten international tourists surveyed confirmed that the visa waiver would facilitate a possible return to Brazil.

Some 56.5 per cent of interviewed foreigners were in Brazil for the first time.

For the president of the Institute, Vinícius Lummertz, the measure is a huge motivating factor for the arrival of tourists and the partial survey confirms the positive visibility of the Brazil in the world.

“We were surprised by the very favourable data.

“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”, said Lummertz.

He recalled that Embratur has supported the visa waiver for tourist destinations and countries with a strong Olympic tradition as part of their heritage since the very beginning.