Brazil attracted a record number of international visitors in 2013, with more than six million tourists heading to the country in search of idyllic beaches, perfect weather, warm hospitality and jungle adventures.

With the South American country bracing itself for what looks set to be a bumper year as it hosts the 2014 World Cup, Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, Embratur, has compiled figures to show that, even without a major sporting tournament taking place, the past 12 months have been a busy one for its hotels and international airports.

Indeed, the record for the most foreign visitors in a single calendar year was smashed with almost two weeks to spare, with an Argentine lady given the surprise of her life as tourism officials greeted her off her plane at Antonio Carlos Jobin International Airport in Rio de Janeiro.

However, Embratur is confident that the record will be broken once again over the next few months, not least since hundreds of thousands of sports fans are expected to head to the World Cup, with several cities right across the country set to benefit from this boom.

“[Our] objective is to increase the number of tourists arriving next year to seven million, generating more jobs and income for Brazilians,” the ministry’s president Flavio Dino said.

Furthermore, looking further to the future, it is hoped that this increase in people booking flights to Rio will continue for some time to come, including during 2016, when Brazil is scheduled to host the Olympic Games.

As its most famous city, home to such sites as the Copacabana Beach, Rio is expected to be among the biggest winners of the boom, with many football fans likely to be attracted by its vibrant culture and nightlife, as well as its many monuments and choose to make the city their base for the upcoming tournament.

At the same time, however, tourism chiefs are also confident that visitors will head elsewhere, with the historic cities of Salvador and Brasilia, as well as the natural wonders of the Amazon Rainforest and the Igassu Falls in the southern state of Parana, likely to enjoy record numbers of visitors, too.

Source: http://news.opodo.co.uk