Brazil may exempt American tourists from needing a visa to attend next summer’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games, ESPN reports.
The move would be made to help boost ticket sales for the Games, making it easier for Americans to travel to the host nation and watch the Games live.
The idea that visa restrictions could be relaxed came from Brazil’s tourism minister, who mentioned only Americans and no other nationalities when talking about potential visa exemptions.
According to the ESPN report:
The minister said Brazil — a country of 200 million — receives 6 million foreign tourists annually. France, with one-third the population, received about 85 million in 2013, according to United Nations figures. The United States was second with 70 million.
Rio Olympic organizers say they are satisfied with the early ticket demand, though some estimates show demand at this stage lagging well behind the 2012 London Olympics.
Brazil appears to be selling tickets well for sporting events that are already popular in South America, events like soccer and track. Swimming would likely fall into that category – it’s perhaps not as widespread through most of South America as it in other places, but Brazil has long been a hotbed of swimming talent with a proud aquatic tradition.
