Brazil hits record of 6m foreign tourists

An Argentine lawyer has been identified as the six millionth foreign visitor to Brazil this year, marking a tourism record for the country, state-run Brazilian Tourism Company Embratur announced Thursday. Argentine Nadia Panis, who flew from Buenos Aires to Rio, received a special welcome with music and sweets and was presented with an all-expense-paid weekend at a seaside resort in the city. Brazil has registered more than 5 million international visitors every year since 2005, but has never surpassed 6 million mark until now. "Our (tourism) growth is above the global average," said Embratur President Flavio Dino. "Last year we grew 5 percent, while the average was 3 percent." Embratur attributed the record number mainly to large-scale events, such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2016 Olympic Games and Catholic World Youth Day. In 2012, Brazil attracted 5.7 million foreign visitors, compared to 5.4 million in 2011, according to the Brazilian Tourism Ministry. South American travelers account for the largest portion of the group, followed by Europeans, Americans, Asians, Africans, and Australians. Argentina is a large source of foreign visitors to Brazil, contributing 1.6 million.