Tourists Give Olympic Games Thumbs Up and Want to Visit Brazil Again

Brazilian and foreign visitors interviewed by the Ministry of Tourism during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games praised tourism and leisure options, night-life and Brazilian hospitality. The study reveals visitors’ profile, as well as average cost and length of visits, in addition to their level of satisfaction with a number of items including security/safety, public transport, infrastructure and prices. According to the survey, 87.7% of foreign tourists plan to visit Brazil again, and 94.2% of Brazilians want to return to Rio de Janeiro.

For 98.7% of all Brazilians interviewed, their trip to Rio fully met or even exceeded their expectations. Foreign visitors' satisfaction levels were at 83.1%. Cariocas' hospitality was praised by 92% of Brazilians and 98.6% of foreign visitors. Rio's night-life was also a major hit: 93.6% of Brazilians and 96.2% of foreigners gave Rio good or very good scores under this category.

'This is evidence that we are hosting memorable Games. For tourism, the results of this survey are particularly important. They show that, in terms of image, our legacy is extremely positive', remarked acting Tourism Minister Alberto Alves. He pointed out that these results represent a cherry on the pie in Brazil's cycle of mega-events, including Rio+20, World Youth Day and the World Cup.

The temporary visa waiver programme implemented during the Olympic and Paralympic Games benefitted 74.7% of all visitors from the countries under the scheme (US, Canada, Japan and Australia), out of whom 82.2% stated that such a measure would encourage them to visit Brazil again.

Infrastructure

Brazilian airports were praised by 94.6% of foreign tourists and 91.6% of Brazilians. Security also received good reviews by 88.4% of foreigners and 87.1% of Brazilians, with very similar results to those achieved by public transport: 86.6% among foreigners, and 82.1% among Brazilians.

The competition venues were considered good or very good by 89.6% of Brazilians and 87.1% of foreigners. Access to the competition venues was also approved by 79% of Brazilian visitors and 80.2% of foreign visitors. On the other hand, prices at or around the competition venues received the lowest scores in the survey, with a 50.8% negative review by Brazilians, and a 42.4% negative review by foreigners.

Tourist profile

The survey revealed that Olympic tourists are quality visitors, whose average monthly income is US$3,581.00 among foreigners, and above R$ 3,500 for 63,8% of the Brazilians. Brazilian visitors spent on average 10.3 days in Rio, with a daily expenditure of R$ 337.90. Foreigners were in Rio for 11.7 days, and spent US$103.70 per day. The country that sent the most tourists to Brazil was the United States (21.2%), followed by Argentina (14.8%) and United Kingdom (4.8%). Most Brazilian visitors came from the Southeast region (51.1%), followed by the Northeast (18.5%) and South (15.7%).

Brazilians visiting Rio de Janeiro during the Olympic Games are on average, 37 years old; 51.3% of them are single, and 62.7% are men. The study also showed that the Rio 2016 Olympic Games allowed Brazilians to participate, for the first time, in the greatest sporting event on Earth: 96.3% of all interviewees had never been to an edition of the Games. Among foreigners, 83.5% are over 25, 64.4% are men, and 56.5% are visiting Brazil for the first time.

The domestic survey was developed by GMR Inteligência & Pesquisa (a Brazilian survey research institute), and heard 4,150 people from 3 to 16 August at the competition venues and at the Olympic Boulevard. The international survey was carried out by the Institute of Economic Research Foundation (FIPE), and heard 1,262 foreigners at Brazilian airports from 6 to 16 August.

The web was the main source of information for visitors: 70% of Brazilians and 63.4% of foreigners planned their trips online. Among Brazilians, staying with friends or family was the preferred accommodation option (48.6%), followed by renting a property (21.2%). Among foreigners, 37.2% stayed in hotels or serviced apartments, and 25% rented a property. Both Brazilians and foreigners said that their main activity in Rio was 'going to the beach': 74.8% and 77.3%, respectively.

PARTIAL RESULTS - The data presented this Thursday (18 August) have been extracted from the database of the study on international and domestic demand carried out by the Ministry of Tourism to assess visitors' perceptions during the Rio 2016 Games. The interviews will continue throughout the Paralympic Games. The final results will be published by the end of this year.

Interview with acting Tourism Minister Alberto Alves

A survey carried out by the Ministry of Tourism reveals the profile and satisfaction level of Brazilian and foreign visitors with regards to many aspects of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The domestic study heard 4,150 people from 3 to 16 August at the competition venues and the Olympic Boulevard. The international survey heard 1,262 foreign visitors at Brazilian airports between 6 and 28 August.

Rio Media Center - What is the government's main conclusion from this study?

Alberto Alves: That we are hosting a memorable Olympic Games. We are closing Brazil's cycle of mega-events on a high note. This includes Rio+20, the World Youth Day, the World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Although these events have different profiles and attract different audiences, they all leave an image legacy.

RMC - Would you like to highlight any particular aspect?

AA: For the Ministry of Tourism, the two most important items are satisfaction levels and intention to return, both among Brazilians and foreigners. According to the survey, 87.7% of foreign tourists plan to visit Brazil again, and 94.2% of Brazilians want to return to Rio de Janeiro. For 98.7% of all Brazilians interviewed, their trip to Rio fully met or even exceeded their expectations. Among foreigners, the rate is 83.1%. Once again, Brazilian hospitality – one of the best appraised items – helped us achieve this results.

RMC - Did the Tourism Ministry expect such positive results?

AA: The federal government as a whole, together with state and municipal governments, worked very hard towards these results. They indicate that we are on the right path, and that tourism is ready to grow and become an important vector for job creation and income generation in Brazil. Currently, our sector accounts for over 3 million jobs, but we can contribute even further.

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