Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
They may not have been crowned world champions on the pitch but Brazil, hosts of this year’s momentous FIFA World Cup 2014, have come out victorious in other ways.
As the final match that pitched Argentina against Germany reached a climax, eventually seeing the Germans lift the trophy in Rio de Janeiro, figures were already emerging that showed the immediate impact of the tournament on the host country. The Brazilian government revealed that over one million foreign tourists visited the country throughout the month of the World Cup from 203 different countries, a figure that smashed the predicted 600,000 visitors, by an additional 67 per cent.
Not only buoyed by these figures, which highlighted even more positively when compared to the 310,000 foreign tourists that visited South Africa during the 2010 World Cup, Brazil’s government also showed that over 60 per cent of these were first-time visitors to Brazil.
This spells positive news for the future of Brazilian tourism, opening the South American country up to a whole new global audience, and revealing the many facets it has to offer, from warm hospitality and breathtaking beaches to a rich and colourful culture, which is sure to draw people back time and time again.
These figures also translated into a financial impact for Brazil too, with the Economic Research Institute Foundation, commissioned by Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism, showing an additional $13.5 billion boost to the economy.
The ‘Visa Everywhere Travel Report’ for the World Cup also revealed a 152 per cent increase in spending, year-on-year, with international travellers spending $188 million on their Visa accounts during the group stage clashes, 141 per cent more than that spent during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Interestingly, visitors from the Middle East were recorded as spending $2.7 million, 419 per cent more than that of the previous year, even given the fact that they had no team representation in the tournament.
Another interesting financial result from the tournament is the effect on some of the smaller host cities with Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte state, being one such winner. The ‘City of the Sun’ saw an outstanding increase of 851 per cent in tourist spending during the World Cup, according to the Visa Everywhere Travel Report, marking the city as one to watch for future tourism and growth.
