As predicted, the celebration of the Olympic Games last year brought its rewards – 2016 was the best year for Brazilian tourism ever. Not only did international visitor figures soar, earnings from tourism also experienced an important increase. In addition, the current high season promises to beat last year’s record.
The celebration of major sporting events creates significant revenue for the host country as well as placing it firmly on the world travel map. This was the case with Brazil in 2014 when the country hosted the FIFA World Cup and this phenomena was consolidated at last year’s Rio Olympics.
Record figures for Brazilian tourism
In 2016 Brazil received 6.6 million international tourists. This represents an increase of 4.8 per cent on the figures for 2015. Argentinians made up the largest nationality group with 2.2 million visitors to Brazil followed by American tourists who numbered 600,000.
Hand-in-hand with a rise in foreign visitors came an increase in spending. In this respect, 2016 was also the best year for Brazilian tourism ever with a revenue of US$6.2 billion, up 6.2 per cent on 2015.
But perhaps most importantly for Brazilian tourism in the medium and long-term is the increase in awareness of the country as a tourist destination. Surveys conducted among foreign visitors to Brazil last year reveal that 95 per cent of tourists said they planned to return to Brazil for a holiday in the future.
The increase in both tourists and spending last year had a particularly positive effect among Brazilian companies within the tourism sector. In the latest Tourism Economic Development Bulletin carried out quarterly by the Brazilian tourist board 64 per cent of the nearly 1,000 companies interviewed said that 2016 had been a better year than 2015.
Promising high summer season
Although Brazil is increasingly improving its profile on the international holiday scene, the most important market for Brazilian tourism is domestic. And the good news is that this looks extremely promising too.
Data just released by the Brazilian Tourism Ministry shows an increase in the number of Brazilians planning to take a holiday during the country’s high season – December to February. Some 78.4 million trips are planned, up on last year’s figure, with a predicted spending of around R$100 billion.
“These figures show just how resilient Brazilian tourism is,” said Marx Beltrao, Minister for Tourism, “and how important it is for the economy in creating both employment and revenue.” He confirmed that further consolidation of the sector will take place during 2017 when several important projects will be completed.
The Brazilian Tourism Ministry also released the ranking of favourite destinations for the Brazilian summer period. This high season – the most important time of year since it includes both Christmas and Carnival – sees Sao Paulo at the top of the ranking followed by Florianopolis and Rio de Janeiro.
However, Brazilians don’t just favour the south of the country for their summer holidays. Northeast Brazil, headed by Salvador in Bahia and Fortaleza in Ceará, take fifth and sixth places in the top ten ranking. Northeast Brazil regularly features at the top of the most popular holiday spots for Brazilians.
While staying with friends or family remains the most popular form of accommodation during high season, holiday lets are increasingly important. This summer they will represent 10 per cent of all accommodation in Brazil.
“Brazil has undoubtedly consolidated itself as an international holiday destination,” says Dies Poppeliers, Managing Director of BRIC Group. “We expect to see this increase further during 2017 in tandem with a rise in the number of Brazilian holidaymakers, particularly to areas with a great year-round climate such as Northeast Brazil.”
An investment company specialising in global real estate opportunities, BRIC Group is currently developing The Coral resort, in Northeast Brazil, a luxury beachfront resort. BRIC Group also offers US real estate investments including turnkey properties in Florida and Houston, and land plots in Florida. BRIC Group has been creating wealth for its clients since 1996 and has offices in Brazil, Dubai (consulting office), Hungary, Spain and the US.
(Source: Brazilian Tourism Ministry)
