International visitors generated US$3.7 million, equivalent to R$20.9 billion in Brazil, from January to June this year. This is a record amount for the period, as it exceeds the amount spent in the country in the first half of 2014, the year of the World Cup in Brazil.
Until then, the first six months leading up to the World Cup that year held the best record for those months, when travelers injected around US$3.5 billion (R$20.2 billion) into the national economy.
The data was released this Monday (29) by the Central Bank. Compared to the first half of 2023, when foreigners moved US$ 3.2 billion (R$ 18.2 billion), there was an increase of 15.6%.
In a statement, the Minister of Tourism, Celso Sabino, stated that Brazil has established itself as an attractive, competitive and valued destination on the international scene. “We are increasingly receiving these international visitors with an incredible diversity of tourist experiences,” he highlighted.
Visitors
Rio de Janeiro Carnival makes the city the one that receives the most foreign tourists in Brazil – Marco Terranova/Riotur
The record inflow of foreign currency goes hand in hand with the increase in foreign tourists arriving in Brazil. From January to June this year, more than 3.59 million international tourists entered the country to visit Brazilian destinations. The number is 9.7% higher than that observed in the same period in 2023 and 1.9% above that recorded in 2019.
This is the highest number since 2018, when 6.6 million foreigners visited the country. The Ministry of Tourism expects this year to end with a higher number than the 2018 record.
Rio de Janeiro had its best result in a decade, receiving 760.2 thousand international tourists in the first half of the year, motivated mainly by Carnival, says Embratur. The growth was 19.89% compared to the same period in 2023 and is already the second largest in history, behind only the year of the World Cup.
For the president of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur), Marcelo Freixo, international tourism is an economic powerhouse and is contributing to the development of Brazil. “When we talk about this historic revenue, we are talking about generating jobs and income throughout the country, building an economy that values our culture and generates environmental sustainability,” Freixo highlights.
“We are a rich country and, in addition to sun and beach, we have nature, ecotourism, Afrotourism, gastronomy, culture and much more. People are coming here to see what we have to offer and telling people abroad about the incredible experiences they have had here.”
Flights
International flights continue to be the main gateway for travelers from other countries. In the first six months of this year, 2,234,033 arrivals were recorded in Brazil.
Embratur intends to expand its international air network, with the acquisition of new flights to new destinations, in addition to increasing the frequency of routes already operated. The International Tourism Acceleration Program (Pati), launched in March of this year in partnership with Embratur and the Ministry of Ports and Airports, foresees a public-private partnership with airlines and airports to increase the number of seats and international flights to Brazil.
The federal government estimates that Pati will allow an increase of 70 thousand seats on foreign flights to Brazil, between October of this year and March 2025.
2023 Ranking
Last year, Argentina was the main country sending tourists to Brazil, with 1.9 million visitors (32% of the total). Next came the United States, with 668.5 thousand (11%); Chile, with 458.5 thousand (7.7%); Paraguay, with 424.5 thousand (7.1%), and Uruguay, with 334.7 thousand (5.6%).
In Europe, France is the main country sending tourists to Brazil and appears in sixth place, with 187.5 thousand tourists (3.1%), followed by Portugal, with 158.5 thousand (3%); Germany, with 158.5 thousand (2.6%); the United Kingdom, with 130.2 thousand (2.2%); and Italy, with 129.4 thousand (2.2%), completing the list. ranking of the ten largest sources of tourists to Brazil last year.
