Record numbers of foreign tourists in Brazil

According to an analysis by FecomercioSP, the Brazilian tourism sector has accumulated over R$ 73 billion, the highest amount since 2015. The Ministry of Tourism also reported that 2.7 million foreign tourists visited Brazil last month. These account for 75% of the expected international visitors in 2022.

The airline sector was the top beneficiary with R$ 5.6 billion, followed by cultural, leisure, and sports activities with R$ 1.3 billion. Food and lodging, however, were not left behind, accumulating R$ 5.05 billion, an increase of 6.9% compared to the previous quarter.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the Brazilian International Tourism Promotion Agency (Embratur) also registered an increase in foreign tourists’ interest in Brazil. This year’s total revenue from international visitors amounts to R$ 10.8 billion, the highest in the last four years. Argentinians are the most prominent nationality among those who have visited the country.

The significant increase in foreign tourists in the country is also directly related to Argentines returning to Brazil. From January to April, 1.18 million Argentineans landed in Brazilian cities, an increase of 166% compared to last year, when 443,993 were registered.

Citizens from the United States and Paraguay follow the Argentines. Completing the top 10 are Chile, Uruguay, Portugal, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Foreign visitors are motivated by leisure travel (45%) and business travel (29%).

Experts point out that the values should remain stable due to the reduction in inflation, improvement in the labor market, and a reduction in interest rates expected to happen soon. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Annual Economic Impact Report supports the positive outlook for Brazilian tourism, which states that tourism’s contribution to the country’s GDP will exceed pre-pandemic patterns by 5% this year.