Brazil is flying high as a tourist destination at the moment, with celebrity endorsement and record numbers of visitors flocking to the country’s resorts.



Hollywood stars Jude Law and Matthew McConaghey have both been spotted enjoying the sun, sand and stunning locations Brazil has to offer.



Sahara actor McConaghey wrote in his travel blog on MySpace that he visited the country for the first time towards the end of last year to visit his girlfriend Camilla Alves’ family.



“[I] found a very proud and happy culture there. We ate, we drank, we danced, and they tolerated my stumbling through the Portuguese language….I will return, beautiful country, beautiful and classy people…thanks Brazil,” he gushed.



Cold Mountain star Law celebrated his 36th birthday in the country, relaxing in the coastal resort of Angra dos Reis – located in the east of Brazil, just south-west of Rio de Janeiro – which boasts white shores and bright blue seas.



Jude and his three children, Rafferty, 12, Iris, eight and Rudy, six, as well as his ex-wife Sadie Frost, played on the beach and took a boat trip, having travelled from their hotel in Rio de Janeiro.



Meanwhile, record numbers of tourists visited Sao Paulo, which is just south of Rio, last year, Brazzil Magazine reports.



Figures from Sao Paulo Turismo (SPTuris), a company which promotes tourism in the municipality, show Brazil’s largest city played host to 11 million tourists last year, an annual record high and 2.8 per cent more than in 2007, according to the news provider.



Of those, 1.7 million were foreign visitors, with overseas and domestic visitors ploughing 8.3 billion real (£2.3 billion) into the local economy, a 2.47 per cent rise compared to 2007.



English tourists were among the most common foreigners visiting the city, with foreigners citing business as the mean reason for journeying to Sao Paulo.



Over half said this was their reason for travelling to the Brazilian municipality, followed by 20.7 per cent who were visiting friends and relatives and 13.6 per cent who were there for holidays.



So why is Brazil such an attractive destination?



Tom Falcao, general manager of the Brazilian tourist office in London, part of the Brazilian Embassy in London, says the country’s popularity comes from the variety of holidays and activities it has to offer.



“Brazil cannot offer skiing, but apart from that, we can offer all sorts of things,” he asserts.



Mr Falcao adds that Brazil has worked hard to promote itself to holidaymakers in the UK.



“From the point of view of attracting British tourists, we have developed two campaigns already. One was in 2007 and 2008, with billboards and posters all over the city of London.”



Another advantage of the country at the moment is the relative strength of its economy compared to Britain, he affirms.



“Due to the exchange rate the pound can go a long way,” Mr Falcao asserts.



Combine that with the fact that there is a relatively small time difference, meaning travellers fly off to an exotic location without being hit by jet lag when they get there.



The Brazilian embassy states that the country’s main cities are just as safe as “anywhere in Europe or north America” and the relaxed and friendly culture makes it a desirable location for a holiday.



Convenience is also a determining factor as British Airways and Brazilian airline TAM both offer direct flights to Brazil, operating daily services to Sao Paulo from London Heathrow.



In addition, eight other airlines also have scheduled flights between Europe and Brazil.



“Tourists can fly from Lisbon to any capital in the north-east [of Brazil]. It’s only a seven hour flight. They all have a very good infrastructure for tourism; all the hotels, food and things like that are very well organised,” says Mr Falcao.



For those interested in buying property in Brazil to use as a holiday home or perhaps let out to tourists, Mr Falcao assures investors that “it is very easy to do that. No problem at all.”

Tags: Brazil, Features, Real Estate