$365 million spent by World Cup tourists so far

Rio de Janeiro, June 29 (IANS/EFE) Foreign tourists have spent $365 million during the first phase of the FIFA World Cup, Brazil's sports minister Aldo Rebelo said.

Rebelo said the World Cup has a double impact this year as the expenditure of the tourists increased while that of Brazilians abroad decreased. He also praised the efforts of federal, provincial and municipal departments that led to a normal World Cup with small issues and huge success inside and outside the pitches, reports EFE.

Rebelo compared the protests taking place in Brazil against the huge amount of money spent on preparations for the World Cup to those which occurred during the 2013 Confederation Cup, also hosted by Brazil.

He said that participation in demonstrations have come down in comparison to last year.

--IANS/EFE

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