Mexico has confirmed a visa-free travel accord with Brazil, the country's Tourism Ministry (Sectur) announced Friday in a press release.

The new visa regulation will take effect on May 16, said the Sectur, which expects the measure would draw more Brazilians traveling to Mexico.

In January, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff agreed to eliminate the tourist visa requirement between the two countries, on the sidelines of a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Santiago, Chile.

Brazil is Mexico's sixth-largest source of international tourists, with most Brazilians traveling to Mexico City and Mexico 's top Caribbean resort, Cancun.

In 2012, some 248,900 Brazilians visited Mexico, an increase of 26.8 percent over the year before, and a whopping 111.5 percent jump from 2010, according to the Sectur.

For the coming April to September period, Mexican tourism officials expect more than 14,633 Brazilian tourists.

The new measure came at a time when Brazil is going to host this year's Confederations Cup soccer tournament from June 15 to 30, which will feature Mexico as the top team in the region, North American, Central American and Caribbean Confederation.

Brazil is expecting an uptick in Mexican tourists in the lead up to the 2014 soccer World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games to be hosted by the country.

Brazilian citizens didn't need a tourist visa for Mexico until 2005 when the then President Vicente Fox decided to impose the measure. Brazil's then President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva reciprocated by imposing the requirement on Mexican visitors.

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