We want more of Brazil!
New York City officials are lobbying Washington to loosen entry requirements for Brazilians — especially its high-spending tourists.
The South American giant already accounts for more overseas visitors here than any nation other than the United Kingdom, but “we are leaving millions of tourism dollars on the table by not opening up our doors to the Brazilian market,” said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Co., the city’s tourism bureau.
“New York City alone saw a 22 percent increase in travel from Brazil in 2011, which generated $1.62 billion in spending,” he said.
“We will continue to explore new ways to engage the market, but we need federal support to allow us to compete with Europe, South America and other countries where Brazilians can travel visa free.”
On a recent ferry ride to Staten Island, where Mayor Bloomberg unveiled plans for the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, Fertitta added: “If we got that visa waiver, we’d have another 500,000 visitors [from Brazil] in five minutes.”