Thanks to Brazil, organizing a trip to the Olympics just got easier. This year’s Olympic host will allow U.S. tourists to enter the country visa-free for up to 90 days.
Though the U.S. passport is consistently among the most sought after in the world, Americans traveling to Brazil previously needed to cough up an extra $160 “reciprocity fee” to enter. But tourists jetting to Brazil for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro—from Aug. 5-21—or just to visit some of the paradisiac scenery needn’t worry about the fee from June 1 through Sept. 18.
The measure is designed to increase the number of tourists to Brazil, a country currently
steeped in a deep recession, and the hope is that the influx of tourists can jumpstart the
lackluster economy. Let’s just hope Brazil has learned from the failures of the 2014 World Cup, during which the country spent an estimated $15 billion and generated roughly $125 million in revenue.
So far this year, the country seems well-prepared for the Olympic games, and the Brazilian
airline Azul has made an all-you-can-fly pass, allowing travelers access to any of the airline’s
100 destinations around Brazil. The waived visa fee is one less hassle for American travelers on their way to Copacabana Beach.
Tom is a travel writer, part-time hitchhiker, and he’s currently trying to imitate Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? but with more sunscreen and jorts.