NYC & Company, New York City’s marketing, tourism and partnership organization, and São Paulo Turismo, the tourism board of Sao Paulo, Brazil, have extended a cross-promotional agreement to boost travel between the two cities through 2013. In extending the agreement originally signed in March of 2011, the cities will continue to exchange “marketing, online, social media and communications assets” and best practices to increase travel to their respective destinations, according to a joint statement issued Thursday.

New York City attracted an estimated 718,000 visitors from Brazil, making it New York’s second-largest source of overseas visitors. Brazil is also now New York City’s top spending market, contributing $1.62 billion in spending in 2011.

American Airlines has received authority from U.S. Department of Transportation to add 17 additional weekly flights between Brazil and the U.S. later this year. Pending approval from Brazilian authorities, American will increase service between JFK and São Paulo, and between Miami and Rio de Janeiro. American will operate a second JFK-São Paulo flight beginning Oct. 1, 2012. American will also change its current Miami-Salvador-Recife round-robin service to separate Miami-Salvador and Miami-Recife nonstop flights five times per week, and will add a second daily flight between Miami and Rio de Janeiro, beginning Dec. 15, 2012.

In conjunction with this partnership, American Airlines is offering a limited-time airfare of $998 for roundtrip travel between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport and Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport. “We continue to experience tremendous travel to New York City from Brazil, and the market continues to hold its place as our top spending market,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “By extending our agreement today with São Paulo Turismo, we are reaffirming our commitment to actively develop and grow this market.”