Tatiana Cesso
International visitors poured a record-breaking $3.7 billion into Brazil from January to June this year, equivalent to R$20.9 billion. This spending surpasses the previous record set in the first half of 2014, during the World Cup. Back then, the six months leading up to the World Cup saw travelers inject about $3.5 billion (R$20.2 billion) into the Brazilian economy.
The Central Bank released these figures on Monday (29). Compared to the first half of 2023, when foreign visitors spent $3.2 billion (R$18.2 billion), this year’s figure represents a 15.6% increase. Tourism Minister Celso Sabino commented that Brazil continues to be an attractive, competitive, and valued destination on the international stage. “We are increasingly welcoming these international visitors with an incredible diversity of tourism experiences,” he said.
This record influx of foreign currency is matched by a rise in international tourists arriving in Brazil. From January to June this year, over 3.59 million international tourists visited Brazilian destinations. This is a 9.7% increase from the same period in 2023 and a 1.9% rise from 2019. It’s the highest number since 2018, when 6.6 million foreigners visited Brazil. The Ministry of Tourism anticipates that this year will surpass the 2018 record.
Rio de Janeiro saw its best result in a decade, with 760,200 international tourists in the first half of the year, largely due to the carnival, according to Embratur. This marks a 19.89% increase from the same period in 2023 and is the second highest number in history, trailing only behind the World Cup year.
Marcelo Freixo, President of the Brazilian Agency for International Promotion of Tourism (Embratur), highlighted the economic power of international tourism. “When we talk about this historic revenue, we’re talking about job creation and income throughout the country, building an economy that values our culture and generates environmental sustainability,” Freixo said.
Brazil 2023 Tourist Rankings
Last year, Argentina was the top source of tourists to Brazil, with 1.9 million visitors (32% of the total). The United States followed with 668,500 (11%); Chile with 458,500 (7.7%); Paraguay with 424,500 (7.1%); and Uruguay with 334,700 (5.6%).
In Europe, France was the leading emitter of tourists to Brazil, ranking sixth with 187,500 tourists (3.1%), followed by Portugal with 158,500 (3%); Germany with 158,500 (2.6%); the United Kingdom with 130,200 (2.2%); and Italy with 129,400 (2.2%). These nations rounded out the top ten sources of tourists to Brazil last year.
Source: Agência Brasil
