Curitiba, March 8, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Iguaçu National Park, the most popular in Brazil, received a record number of visitors in February. For the second year in a row, the park registered more visitors than during the same period in previous years. The park received 81,939 tourists, 38.63% more than in February, 2003, and 42.98% more than in February, 2002.

The number of visitors in February is the fifth largest total registered in the last 23 years, since the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) began to keep such records. According to the numbers announced by the Ibama, Brazilians continue to be the main visitors, with 31,471 entries. They are followed by Argentineans, Chileans, Paraguayans, and Americans, with 7,179 entries. The daily average is 2,825 visits.

The park contains 185 thousand hectares of native forest and is the site of the Iguaçu Falls, one of Brazil's chief tourist attractions. There are also new trails and equipment for ecotourism and eco-adventures. (DAS)