Sao Paulo, the capital of Brazilian state Sao Paulo, recorded a slight growth in tourism last year compared to the results of 2007. According to a tourism promotion company Sao Paulo Turismo, eleven million tourists visited the city in 2008 which is a 2.8 per cent more than the year before. Most of the visitors were
domestic tourists (9.3 million) but there were also 1.7 million foreigners. The tourists spent approximately US$ 3.5 billion in the city. Most of the foreigners came from Americas, Germany, France Chile, Portugal, Italy, UK and Mexico. The majority of the foreigners (57.2 per cent) were
business travelers. Some 20.7 per cent came to the city to visit relatives and friends and only 13.6 per cent were
leisure tourists. Their average spending was US$ 503. Foreign tourists were predominantly males (77.4 per cent) and they usually got to the city by air (77.4 per cent).
On the contrary, the majority of the local, Brazilian, tourists were females (54.9 per cent). These domestic travelers used mainly buses as their means of transport (41.7 per cent), airplanes (23.3 per cent) and cars (22.2 per cent). Their average spending was US$ 408 per capita. Brazilians traveled to Sao Paulo mostly to visit relatives and friends or for business matters. The average hotel occupation was 68.5 per cent in 2008, which was 1.5 per cent higher than the year before.
The city is the biggest commercial and industrial area of the country. Various industrial shows and other events take place in Sao Paulo every year. No wonder it lures so many business travelers. But it is not only business that lures people to Sao Paulo. Leisure tourists may enjoy beaches, visit local museums and cultural centers. The city is also known for its vibrant
night life. There are bars, discos, nightclubs as well as theatres. Certainly this biggest Brazilian city has something to offer not only to the business people.
