Back in June we reported how Brazil was considering exempting American tourists from needing a visa to attend next summer’s Rio 106 Olympic Games. The move would aim at boosting ticket sales for the Games by making it easier for Americans to travel to the host nation and watch the Games live. At the time of this initial report, Brazil’s tourism minister mentioned only Americans and no other nationalities when talking about potential visa exemptions.
In a decision announced just this week by the Brazilian government, in addition to the United States, now Canada, Japan and Australia can enter Brazil without a visa through September 18, 2016. Citizens of these nations would be allowed to stay in Brazil for up to 90 days.
Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism estimates that a 20% increase in foreign tourists to its nation during the Games will be a direct result of this bill’s sanctioning.
Tourism Minister, Henrique Eduardo Alves, said after the announcement, “I thank [Brazilian] President Rousseff, who in a responsible manner approved such an important project for Brazilian tourism. Our proposal is to include the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan, countries with strong Olympic traditions.”
As to why those nations in particular were selected, Justice Minister, Jose Eduardo Cardozo said that the exemption “would not be extended to citizens from countries which offer migratory risks or threatens national security.” Cardozo continued that, “although Brazil has no history of being an arena for terrorist attacks, the country will take all the necessary measures to insure the safety of participants and spectators during the sporting events.”
“I can guarantee that Brazil is fully prepared to show an excellent security system during the Olympics,” Cardozo commented to the press.