Brazil 'becoming more accessible' to travellers

Brazil is becoming a much more accessible county for travellers planning trips to South America, according to a spokesman for the nation's official tourism board.

Marc Lomanto, director of products and destinations at Embratur, said there are now more options for UK passengers to fly to Brazil than ever before.

As a result, flights are not quite as pricey as they used to be, which is great news for those heading off on longer South America adventure tours and hoping to stick to a budget.

"Yes, we are a long-haul destination country, but the number of people going to Brazil is increasing," Mr Lomanto remarked.

"British Airways now are flying to the country six times a week. The price for long-haul destinations is competitive."

He also insisted that as an adventure holiday destination, Brazil has a lot to offer thanks to the diversity of its landscapes and its rich cultural life.

"Everyone knows about Rio de Janeiro, but we have a lot in the north-east coast of Brazil, such as Fortaleza, Recife and Bahia," he remarked.

"It has beautiful beaches, cultural heritage and it is a nice place to visit because the sea is always warm, it has nice white sand and there are also direct flights for those cities from Europe."

Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world, both by geographical area and population size.

It is an ideal starting point for South America tours as it is bordered by all other countries on the continent, except Ecuador and Chile.

Brazil is anticipating an influx of overseas visitors over the coming years, as it is preparing to host the football World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016.

It also has plans in place to increase the number of foreign tourists arrivals by 113 per cent by 2020, compared to 2010 levels.