NEW YORK — Early estimates provided by Brazil’s federal government indicate that one million foreign tourists visited the country during the World Cup, a significant increase over the estimated 600,000 expected prior to the games.

A study conducted by Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism shows the country welcomed tourists from 203 different countries during the World Cup. For most of them (61%), it was their first time in Brazil.

“Brazil showed to the world that we are ready to host an event of this magnitude. We now have the challenge of changing the interest in business shown by foreign visitors into benefits for the population, generating employment and income,” said Minister of Tourism Vinicius Lages.

A total of 3.4 million people attended matches at the stadium, the second highest number of attendees during a World Cup. Another record was the total number of guests at the Fan Fests: five million people. There was an influx of 16.7 million passengers at airports.

Among the items that scored the highest points with visitors were hospitality and cuisine, with 98% and 93% approval rates respectively.  The study also shows that the World Cup brought about benefits for more than the 12 host cities. Foreign tourists, who stayed in the country on average for 13 days, visited 378 Brazilian municipalities.