Thriving Tourism in Brazil
The tourism industry in Brazil is continuously growing. It is an important part of the economy for many areas throughout the country. In 2009, Brazil had 4.8 million visitors. It is considered to be the top destination for tourists in South America and the second most popular in Latin America (following Mexico). In 2009, profits from international tourism hit $5.3 billion. The number of visitors and income fell considerably in comparison to the year before. This was because of the 2008-2009 economic crises that occurred.
In 2005, tourism supplied 3.2% of the country’s revenues from exports of goods and services. It also made up for 7% of direct and indirect employment in the Brazilian economy. In the next year, direct employment in the tourism industry climbed to 1.87 million people. Domestic tourism is also an essential part of the thriving industry. In 2005, about 51 million domestic tourists toured throughout the country. Direct profits from Brazilian tourists hit USD 21.8 billion. This means Brazil had 5.6 times more receipts than international tourists in 2005.
Brazil’s Tourism Options
Brazil has many options for domestic and international tourists. Ecotourism, leisure, recreation, adventure, beach, historic, and cultural are among the most common forms of tourism in this country. Because of this, natural areas account for the most of the tourism product. The Amazon Rainforest, beaches, and dunes in the Northeast Region, the Pantanal in the Center-West Region, and the beaches at Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina are some of the most common tourist destinations in Brazil. Cultural and historic tourism in Minas Gerais and business trips to So Paulo city are also very common.
Statistics
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) is a report that rates the features of a country that make it appealing to develop business in the travel and tourism industry. This is instead of rating a country’s attractiveness as a tourist destination. In 2008, TTCI rated Brazil as the 49th place in the world’s ranking. This means they were second among Latin American countries and sixth in the Americas. Brazil’s top advantages are displayed more clearly in the sub-index. This measures human, cultural, and natural resources, where Brazil ranks sixth globally, and third in terms of natural resources. The TTCI also mentions Brazil’s major weaknesses. Among these, information and communications technology infrastructure (ranked 58th), ground transport infrastructure (ranked 95th), and safety and security (ranked 128th) are all noted.
In 2005, the most popular destinations for international tourists (in terms of leisure trips) were Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguaçu, So Paulo, Florianópolis, and Salvador. The most popular areas for business trips were So Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Porto Alegre. Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza were the most common destinations for domestic tourists in 2006.