Why This May Be the Best Time to Visit Brazil

Brazil is going through a crisis these days. Government corruption scandal and a tanking economy are two of the country's biggest problems, and the effects have been widespread for those who live there. The real, Brazil's currency, is also losing value swiftly; recently it was valued at more than 4 reais to the U.S. dollar, its lowest value since the currency was introduced in 1994. While this is bad news for Brazil, there are a few reasons that this is a very good time to visit.

1.  Airfares

In recent years, Brazilians were earning more money and traveling more. Friends reported that while visiting New York, Los Angeles, and Italy, it didn't take long to hear Brazilian Portuguese in the crowds of tourists. However, Brazil's economic problems mean that it's much more expensive for Brazilians to travel abroad, and economic instability and insecurity about the future mean that many of them will choose to keep their money than spend it. As fewer Brazilians are traveling now, airfares to Brazil have come way down.

A round-trip ticket from the west coast of the U.S. to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro used to cost around $1500 per person, often more in high season. Now tickets to Brazil can be found for about a third of that price. A search on Skyscanner today shows round-trip airfare from San Francisco to São Paulo for $630 per person in January-February 2016. From San Francisco to Rio de Janeiro is $577, and the deals continue to show up through the summer months of 2016.

2.  Cost of traveling in Brazil

Because the Brazilian currency has lost so much value this year, your money will go farther in Brazil than in past years. This is a big contrast to what travelers experienced in Brazil over the past decade. In fact, until now, Brazil has been known as an expensive country to travel in. After evidence indicated that São Paulo and Rio were the most expensive cities in the western hemisphere, Seth Kugel gave frugal travel tips for Brazil. According to Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management, in the CNBC article "This currency's collapse is astounding," that in recent years, a steak dinner in São Paulo was more expensive than a similar meal in New York City.

Now Brazil's economic downturn means that prices will be lower for travelers. Due to inflation, prices are not rock bottom, but they are definitely more affordable for travelers. What used to be an expensive hotel in São Paulo may now be reasonable. A good meal in Brazil's most expensive cities is now finally affordable. This is good news for travelers because in past years, the cost of a good lunch in São Paulo, for example, could easily top $50 per person. Brazil is still not a cheap country to travel in, but it is much less expensive than it was even one year ago.

3.  Benefits for Travelers, Benefits for Brazil

As the host country of the 2014 World Cup and the upcoming host of the 2016 Summer Olympics, Brazil has been makes significant improvements in things like public transportation, infrastructure, and environmental clean up. Despite the country's ongoing challenges, travelers benefit from the ways in which Brazil has been growing and improving as it has prepared to be the host nation for these two important events.

During this difficult time for Brazilians, added spending through tourism is certainly welcome. Increased spending by tourists in restaurants, hotels, shopping centers, cafes, markets, and so on will benefit Brazil. Travelers should be aware, though, that Brazil has crime and other problems, so you'll need to take precautions to keep your travels in Brazil as safe as possible.

#Source About.com