Brazil reaches 4 million international tourists received in 2024

The first seven months of 2024 were a positive indicator for tourism in Brazil. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism (MTur), Embratur and the Federal Police (PF), 4 million international tourists arrived in the country from January to July, a result 10.4% higher than that recorded in the same period in 2023 and 1.9% higher than that of the first seven months of 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tourism Minister Celso Sabino believes that this is yet another indication of the upward trend in the presence of these travelers in Brazilian destinations. “In 2023, we received a total of 5.9 million international tourists and in the first seven months of this year, we already registered 4 million. This indicates a real possibility of reaching a new record of at least 7 million international visitors to several Brazilian cities, one of the main goals of the federal government in relation to Brazilian tourism,” he emphasized.

Marcelo Freixo, president of Embratur, the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion, also celebrated the result and highlighted the effort made to achieve it. “These results are achieved thanks to our work strategy, always in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, states, municipalities and the private sector, with a focus on results, with goals and real-time monitoring. We have an experienced and qualified team that uses data intelligence to offer each tourist a perfect destination in Brazil that fits their consumption profile. The demand to come and visit our country is increasing and the offer of international flights is increasing. We have worked hard in partnership with airlines and, this year alone, the growth of flights is projected at 19%,” he said.

Figures released by MTur show that Argentina was the main source of travellers to the country (1.8 million), followed by the United States (668,400), Chile (458,500), Paraguay (424,400) and Uruguay (334,700).

The main entry points into the country were the states of São Paulo (1.2 million), Rio de Janeiro (868,300), Rio Grande do Sul (647,700), Paraná (573,000) and Santa Catarina (328,000).

July
The arrival of international visitors in the seventh month of the year was 437,100 people and also represented an increase of 16.4% compared to the number recorded in the same period in 2023. The figures also reveal that air travel remains the main source of tourist arrivals to the country (2.5 million), with another 1.3 million arriving by land, 98,200 by sea and 54,500 by river.

Records and tourism revenues
The latest results of international tourism in Brazil add to other positive data, such as spending by travelers from other countries. International tourists left US$ 4.323 billion in the Brazilian economy from January to July of this year. The value is almost US$ 1 billion higher than that recorded in the first seven months of 2023, which was US$ 3.7 billion. The record inflow of foreign currency in tourism in July was US$ 615 million, the second highest value for the month since 2014, when Brazil hosted the World Cup, generating US$ 792.8 million.

“It is money that goes directly to the municipality, directly to the local economy. The tourism chain is very democratic. It is money that goes to the beach goer, to the waiter’s tip, to the Uber or taxi driver, and to the small merchant. So, it is money that generates and maintains jobs, which has a positive impact on the development of our cities,” added Marcelo Freixo.

Tourism initiatives
The Ministry of Tourism is developing various actions and programs to strengthen the development of the sector and increase the presence of foreigners in Brazil. One of them is the improvement of the national tourism infrastructure. In 2023, the MTur supported the execution of 510 projects in the country, such as the renovation of coastlines, the paving of roads and the construction of event centers, which received a total investment of R$ 380 million from the federal government.

Another initiative is the expansion of the international air network, with the acquisition of new flights to new destinations, in addition to increasing frequencies on already operated routes. The International Tourism Acceleration Program (PATI), launched this year in partnership between MTur, the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) and Embratur, enabled, in the first call, an increase of 70,000 foreign flights to Brazil between October 2024 and March 2025.

As announced earlier this year, British Airways will increase frequencies between London Heathrow (LHR) and São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) from daily to 10 weekly flights from 29 October 2024. With this improvement, the number of seats on the route will increase by 28% compared to last winter, offering more options for business and leisure travellers, including overnight departures from São Paulo.

The route is currently operated once daily by the latest generation Airbus A350-1000, but the three additional weekly flights will be operated by the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and, from 27 October, all British Airways flights to São Paulo will operate from Heathrow Terminal 5. British Airways is also increasing capacity on the route from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and Buenos Aires (EZE). From 27 October 2024, the route will be served by the Airbus A350-1000, offering a luxurious travel experience and a 22% increase in seats compared to last winter.

British tourists
In the first half of 2024, 81,200 British tourists visited Brazil, compared to 69,000 Britons who visited the country in the same period in 2023, an increase of 17.7%. Culture, Climate and Beach & Sun are the three most sought-after segments by British tourists when visiting Brazil. Research by Embratur found that 42% of British tourists search for Culture, 38% search for Climate and 31% search for Sun & Beach holidays in Brazil. They are followed by Gastronomy (22%), Nature (20%), Brazilian People (16%), Others (10%) and Business (3%).

Source: Embratur.