Rio de Janeiro Sees Best Tourism Numbers in Five Years CheapOair Staff May 9, 2011 general Rio de Janeiro Has Reason to Celebrate Rio de Janeiro saw its highest numbers of international tourists in five years during 2010 according to a study done by Embratur, the Brazilian Tourism Board. It was seen by 1.61 million visitors in 2010, up from 1.49 in 2009. The city also saw revenue of over $743 million USD. Numbers are expected to increase this year thanks to the Carnival in March, which had 131 percent more tourists than expected and upcoming festivals such as the Rock in Rio festival. Source: Breaking Travel News