Brazil's tourism minister is pushing for a relaxation of his country's visa requirements ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Terra Brasil reported. 

During a visit to the Olympic Park under construction in the city's Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, Henrique Eduardo Alves insisted that the step would be beneficial to help develop the Brazilian tourism sector.

"How is it possible that (our) country only hosts 6 million visitors (per year)?" the minister wondered. "What we need to accomplish is that the entire world sees its beauty -- not just in Rio de Janeiro, but all across Brazil."

The Brazilian tourism statistics compare unfavorably to those of countries such as France, which, according to U.N. data, welcomed about 85 million in 2013 -- even though its population is less than a third that of the South American nation, USA Today detailed.

Citizens of 83 countries and territories may currently visit Brazil without a visa; but the government in Brasília has long insisted on a policy of "full reciprocity," meaning that nationals of countries that require Brazilian visitors to hold a visa, such as the United States, Australia and Canada, must apply for a travel permit in advance.

In order to obtain a tourist visa, for example, U.S. citizens are required to submit application forms, passports, photographs and itinerary information to a Brazilian diplomatic post weeks ahead of travel, according to the country's consulate general in Houston; they are typically charged $160 to obtain the document.

Organizers of the Rio games, meanwhile, have said that while they are satisfied with the early ticket demand for events such as soccer, basketball, volleyball and track, the trend is not as strong for competitions that are not widely followed in the country, USA Today noted. Brazil is investing about $13 billion to prepare for the Olympics, with funds coming from a mix of private and public sources.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, who accompanied Alves on his visit, supported the minister's efforts to take another look at the federal visa regime.

"The Olympics are a fantastic opportunity to open the Brazilian market to U.S. tourism," Paes noted.