Brazil saw a strong influx of visitors from Middle Eastern countries last year, especially at the height of the 2014 Fifa World Cup, with passenger traffic numbers reaching 564,956 - up 27.7 per cent from 2013.

Middle Eastern travellers also spent $2.7 million in Brazil to join thousands of fans from across the globe in witnessing first-hand the much-awaited sporting competition, a report said.

UAE was the highest Gulf spender at $1.14 million. The country ranked 30th on the list of global purchasers at the World Cup, followed by Saudi Arabia at 39 with a total spending of $607,000. Qatar, meanwhile, landed on the 53rd spot with its spending totalling more than $317,000, the report said.

Dr Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO, Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), said: “We are optimistic that more Arab tourists will fly to Brazil in the coming years to explore the beauty of the Latin American nation and experience its warm hospitality and culture. The 2014 FIFA World Cup, which admittedly bolstered the number of Arab visitors to the country, only further fuelled their interest in Brazil. We are confident that a high number of Arab football fans will go back to country, this time to explore its many beautiful and one-of-a-kind tourist spots.”

“There are many tourist destinations in Brazil that have caught the attention of Arabs. The most famous of these places are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis, and the country’s northeast region. Aside from vibrant bilateral trade between Brazil and the Arab World, we at ABCC also strive to promote strong cultural and tourism ties between the two parties in recognition of tourism’s crucial role in their respective socio-economic advancement. In the future, we hope to see a large segment of Brazil’s international tourist arrivals coming from the Arab World and vice versa,” he said. – TradeArabia News Service