Total spend by international travelers on Visa accounts through the group stage of the World Cup has hit US$188 million. This represents a 152 percent increase year-over-year, and a 141 percent increase when compared to the US$78 million spent by travelers attending the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup during the same timeframe. The highest spending day in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil was June 25, when travelers spent US$17.4 million in one day.

Visitors from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, France, and Mexico represented the largest overall tourist spend in Brazil. The most significant spending increases were seen from countries such as Australia (+835%);Colombia (+765%); Chile (+519%) and Mexico (+396%).

Visa Everywhere Travel Report for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, which analyzes travel data and spending through the use of Visa credit, has also found that some smaller Brazilian cities, which are hosting tournament games, realized some of the most significant increases in spending by international travelers.

Data through the group stage of the tournament, which includes opening day (12 June) through the close of the group stage (26 June), revealed triple-digit increases in spending, compared to the same period last year, in cities such as Natal (+851%); Cuiaba (+963%); Curitiba (+167%); and Manaus (+409%).

“The group stage of the World Cup has shown that international tourism was strong well beyond the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as fans traveled throughout Brazil to support their teams,” says Ricardo Fort, SVP Global Sponsorship Marketing, Visa Inc. “The fact that these games are bringing positive economic impact to regions of Brazil typically less visited by international travelers, is another sign of success for the tournament overall.”