The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism has presented a bill to lift the visa requirement for foreigners, and encourage tourism in 2016 in time for the Olympic and Paralympic games in Rio de Janeiro. This measure will benefit foreigners who enter Brazil before September 18, 2016, for a period of stay up to 90 days. The law has already been passed in the House of Representatives and, if approved by the Senate will go to President Dilma Rousseff to sanction.
The visa waiver may be made jointly by the Ministries of Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Justice but after the term has finished, the visa will again be required of foreigners. The measure will be a way to improve Brazil’s current economic crisis, taking advantage of the rise in the dollar and the devaluation of the Brazilian currency – in other words, it is cheaper to visit Brazil now than before and this visa waiver will encourage tourists into the country.
The law is a long-standing demand of the tourism sector to attract tourists, and was celebrated by tourism entrepreneurs. The president of the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association (ABIH), Nerleo Caus, recognized the importance of the measure for the sector and said he expected more. “It would be great if this project would extend beyond the period of the Olympics.”
During the World Cup, Brazil made a similar experience, however, restricted to travelers with tickets to the games, which resulted in an increase of over 60% in spending by tourists.
