Last year 5.161 million foreign tourists visited Brazil, up 7.48 percent from 2009, and 1.61 million were headed for Rio de Janeiro – the highest number since 2005 – generating about $2 million in revenue.
"It’s the best result in numbers of foreign tourists visiting Brazil since 2005. It exceeded the numbers for several previous years," said Mario Moyses, president of Brazilian Tourism Board known as Embratur.
The figures reveal significant growth in visitors from South American countries, up 13.7 percent from the year before. "In international tourism, your closest neighbors are a source of tourists and revenue for the tourist industry."
The president of Embratur said the government will continue to encourage European tourists to visit Brazil. The same is true for Americans, whose numbers were up 6 percent last year. In partnership with the government of Rio de Janeiro, the tourist board is planning a strong campaign this year to attract visitors from the United States.
In 2014, Rio de Janeiro, a city of 6.1 million, will host the FIFA World Cup, and the 2016 Summer Olympics – expecting to generate another million foreign visitors.