Rio de Janeiro is one of the leading tourist meccas in South America. Notable sights include Sugar Loaf Mountain, with its cable car; the Corcovado, with its statue of Christ the Redeemer; Copacabana Beach, with its mosaic sidewalks; and the Botanical Gardens. Large numbers of visitors are also drawn to the churches of Bahia; the historic city of Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais; and the colorful Amazon Valley cities of Belém and Manaus. Brazil is also famous for its colorful celebrations of Carnival, especially in Rio de Janeiro; neighborhood samba groups rehearse all year for this occasion. Brazil's African heritage can best be savored at the Carnival in Salvador. Ecotourism attracts growing numbers of visitors to the world's largest rain forest in the North, the Iguacu Falls in the South, and the Mato Grosso wetlands in the Central West region. Soccer is by far the most popular sport. Brazil hosted the World Cup competition in 1950, and Brazilian teams won the championship in 1958, 1962, 1970, and 1994. The Maracanã soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro seats more than 180,000 spectators. Other favorite recreations include water sports, basketball, tennis, and boxing.
No visa is required for tourists from most Western European or Latin American countries entering Brazil, but a valid passport, a tourist card issued by a transportation company, and a round-trip ticket or transportation to another country are required. Citizens of the US and most other countries must secure a visa in advance. Yellow fever vaccination certificates are required if a visitor is from an infected area.
A total of 5,313,463 tourists visited Brazil in 2000. Estimated tourism revenues were $4.2 billion in 2000. As of that 1997, there were 212,580 hotel rooms with 425,160 beds.
The US Department of State estimates the daily cost of staying in São Paulo at $246 and Rio de Janeiro at $229. Costs in other cities are lower, with Belo Horizonte at $121, Belém at $173, and Cuiaba at $85.