Brasilia, DF ââ¬â A record number of foreign
visitors came to Brazil in 2011, 13, 92% more than the entire previous year,
and the biggest one year increase since 2003 when Embratur, the government
Tourism department, took over the record keeping. The number of visitors surged
from 7.9Million in 2010 to 9Million in 2011.
Not surprisingly then, the Central Bank of
Brazil corroborated this confirming that foreign visitors have spent in 2011,
15, 55% more, US$4.985Billion, compared to a year ago.
Just in the month of September, according
to the Central Bank (Bancen) foreign exchange transactions by official exchange
and credit card transactions by visitors totaled US$521 Million, 14,61% more
than the US $454 Million recorded in September 2010. This figure is also a
record since the start of the series in 2003.
Flavio Dino, president of Embratur, said
this has been the best year ever for Brazilian tourism both in terms of numbers
of visitors and in the amount of foreign exchange earnings. Dino also forecast
that by year end, he expects visitor spending to reach US$ 6.4 Billion, another
all-time high, far eclipsing the record US$ 5.3 Billion in 2005.
Special to Homes Go Fast by Steven Glazer,
Fortaleza
Slglazer( @ )gmail.com & Skype =
force-br
landline +55 85 3261 7884
mobile +55 85 9665.0855
