Tourist spending hits record high in January

published: Mar 05, 2018 06:40 PM, last modified: Mar 05, 2018 06:43 PM

Foreign travellers spent US$ 779 million in the country in the month, almost 18% more than in January 2017. Argentina and the United States were the leading sources of tourists

Pixabay

Foreign tourist spending hit an all-time high for the month of January in Brazil, with travellers injecting US$ 779 million into the economy. It is the highest amount for at least the last 28 years (the period for which this specific data is available).

The result coincides with the decree that allowed visitors from Australia, the United States, Canada and Japan to enter Brazil with electronic visas. The decision states that the entire electronic process, from request to issuance, should take 72 hours.

Total spending by foreign tourists is up 17.86% since last year, with Argentina leading as the biggest source of foreign visitors followed by the United States. A total 6.6 million foreigners visited Brazil last year. Data from the World Tourism Organisation indicates that strategies such as e-visas that facilitate travel can increase tourist inflows by up to 25%, which has the capacity to generate an additional R$ 1.4 billion in tourism revenue for the country.