A poll conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism shows that the opinions of international travellers regarding the country’s tourism infrastructure have improved.

From the Newsroom*

São Paulo – A poll of foreign tourists in Brazil last year was made public by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism this Thursday (13). It shows that their opinions regarding the country’s tourism infrastructure have improved. Approval exceeded 70% in 15 out of 16 aspects covered – only telephony and the internet fell short at 69.9%.

Compared with the first version of the poll, carried out five years ago, scores improved in 14 out of 16 categories. Impressions concerning public security and gastronomy worsened. The Ministry highlights assessments of airports: in 2012, 73.3% of respondents gave positive evaluations, and the rate climbed to 89.9% last year.

“Infrastructure projects and improvement-oriented efforts, mostly put in place for the major events that were held, are bearing fruit already. This poll demonstrates that our destinations are better structured to welcome tourists. As a result, Brazil grows more and more competitive from a global standpoint,” a statement quoted Tourism minister Marx Beltrão as saying.

The best-rated aspects were hospitality (98%), accommodations (95.7%), gastronomy (95.4%), restaurants (90%) and nightlife (91.8%). The worst-rated, besides telephony and the internet (69.6%), were roads (72%), prices (77.2%), tourist signs (80.6%) and urban transportation (81.6%).

Regarding their overall travel experiences in Brazil, 87.7% of respondents said their trips either fully met or exceeded their expectations. Only 1.7% were disappointed, and 95% intend to return to Brazil someday.

The internet is the primary research tool for foreign visitors to Brazil: 49.2% of them relied on the web for research, and 27.1% spoke to friends or relatives.

In 2012, 30.8% of respondents had said they used the internet to gather information and to make purchases and reservations. Last year the rate climbed to 47.7%. The internet’s prevalence as a means of research also grew in other categories – transportation (from 35.9% to 46%), attractions and tours (from 16.1% to 22.3%), tour packages (from 6.2% to 9.2%) and car rental (from 3% to 7.8%).

The Ministry polled 37,632 non-local tourists, out of slightly over 6.578 million foreigners who travelled to Brazil in 2016, at 25 different locations: 15 international airports which handle a combined 99% of the country’s international air traffic, and 10 land borders which account for 90% of land entries into the country.

According to the poll, 56.8% of tourists came for leisure, whereas 18.7% were on business trips. Travelers on leisure trips were mostly after sun-and-beach tourism, at 68.8%. Ecotourism and nature came in second at 16.6%, with culture being the primary attraction for 9.7% of respondents.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum