Argentina sent 1.2 million tourists to Brazil in 2009, while the United States sent over 600,000.

At the height of the summer travel season, we posed the question, Where do Brazilians go when they need a little D&R (Descanso e Relaxmento)? Judging by the Portuguese-speaking throngs on the slopes of Bariloche or in the trendiest parrillas in Puerto Madero, we surmised, Argentina was a safe bet.

Now the flip-side of that tourism coin: A record number of Argentines visited Brazil last year, and a major public/private sector marketing campaign is priming the tourism pump for more in 2010.

Over 1.2 million Argentines visited Brazil in 2009, a 19% increase over 2008, in a year when total visitors to Brazil actually declined slightly by 5%. Argentines account for 1 out of every 4 visitors to the Mercosur neighbor followed by the United States which sent over 600,000 travelers to Brazil, roughly 12% of the 4.8 million total visitors.

In an exclamatory effort to keep a good thing going, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, Embratur, recently launched an aggressive marketing campaign called ¡Brasil Ahora! (Brazil Now!). Full-page advertisements in Clari­n and La Nacion promote discounted vacation packages to beautiful Brazilian destinations like Florianopolis, Salvador, Buzios and Pipa.

Fortunately for Argentines, there is no shortage of flights from Ezeiza and Aeroparque. Major airlines like GOL, TAM and Aeroli­neas Argentinas are participating in the ¡Brasil Ahora! promotion, while short-haul carriers like Pluna and Buquebus offer attractive airfare options. Embratur says the goal of the campaign is to introduce foreign travelers to new Brazilian destinations in the years leading up to the 2014 World Cup.

According to the government report, of the 1.2 million Argentine visitors, 77% entered Brazil for pleasure, the average stay was 11 days, and Florianopolis was the #1 destination.