Miami Skyline © Holiday Tripper

You’re likely to meet Brazilians on your Florida vacation

Last year Brazilians topped the charts for the largest visitation numbers of any overseas traveler, up 41% to outrank the UK, which usually held the top spot. Tour groups travel from theme parks to outlet malls, but Miami is one of their favourite destinations.Taking advantage of the current exchange rates, Florida has become the Number One U.S. destination choice for  Brazilians. In Brazil, costs escalate due to tariffs, taxes and transportation expenses to import the goods.

Visa Delays

Brazilians can wait more than 75 days for an appointment at the U.S. consulate in order to apply for a visa. Obama’s announcement in Walt Disney World indicated he wants to make this process simpler for tourists from “rapidly growing economies”, Brazil being one of them. “We want them spending money here, in Orlando, in Florida in the United States of America, which will boost our businesses and our economy,” he said. Obama recognized that Brazilian tourists were very important for Florida’s economy.

Portuguese Services

If Portuguese is your mother-tongue, you’re in luck as many tourist destinations are now catering to the growing Brazilian tourist market. Disney World recently hired Portuguese-speaking greeters to help tour groups and SeaWorld in Orlando actually launched a Portuguese website. So if you hear “Oi — Sejam bem-vindos!” spoken while you’re on your vacation in Florida, know it means “Hi, welcome!” in Portuguese .

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