Rio de Janeiro, the most visited destination in Brazil by foreign tourists for leisure trips, and second place for business travel.Sancho Bay, Fernando de Noronha, elected the most beautiful beach in the world by TripAdvisor.
Tourism is a growing sector and key to the economy of several regions of Brazil. The country had 6.589 million visitors in 2018, ranking in terms of the international tourist arrivals as the second main destination in South America after Argentina and third in Latin America after Mexico and Argentina.[2] Revenues from international tourists reached US$5.8 billion in 2015, continuing a recovery trend from the 2008–2009 economic crisis.[3]
In terms of the 2024 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which is a measurement of the factors that make it attractive to develop business in the travel and tourism industry of individual countries, Brazil ranked in the 26th place at the world's level, third in the Americas, after Canada and United States.[5] Brazil main competitive advantages are its natural resources, which ranked 3rd on this criterion out of all countries considered in the Americas, and ranked 2nd for its cultural resources, due to its many World Heritage Sites.[6] The 2013 TTCI report also notes Brazil's main weaknesses: its ground transport infrastructure remains underdeveloped (ranked 129th), with the quality of roads ranking in the 121st place, and quality of air transport infrastructure in 131st; and the country continues to suffer from a lack of price competitiveness (ranked 126th), due in part to high and increasing ticket taxes and airport charges, as well as high and rising prices more generally. Safety and security improved significantly between 2008 and 2013, moving from 128th to 73rd place,[7] before slipping to 106th by 2017.[8]
Foreign tourists mainly come from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Canada, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, and Russia.
According to the World Tourism Organization, international travel to Brazil began to grow fast since 2000, particularly during 2004 and 2005. However, in 2006 a slow down took place, and international arrivals have had almost no growth both in 2007 and 2008.[11][14][21][22] In spite of this trend, revenues from international tourism continued to rise, from USD 3.9 billion in 2005 to USD 4.9 billion in 2007, a one billion dollar increase despite 333 thousand less arrivals. This favorable trend is the result of the strong devaluation of the American dollar against the Brazilian real, which began in 2004, but on the other hand, making Brazil a more expensive international destination.[23] This trend changed in 2009, when both visitors and revenues fell as a result of the 2008-2009 economic crisis.[16] By 2010, the industry recovered, and arrivals grew above 2006 levels to 5.16 million international visitors, and receipts from these visitors reached USD 5.9 billion.[17] In 2012, the historical record was reached with 5.6 million visitors and US$6.6 billion in receipts.[3]
Despite continuing record breaking of international tourism revenues, the number of Brazilian tourists travelling overseas has been growing steadily since 2003, resulting in a net negative foreign exchange balance, as more money is spent abroad by Brazilian than receipts from international tourist visiting Brazil. Tourism expenditures abroad grew from USD 5.76 billion in 2006, to USD 8.21 billion in 2007, a 42,45% increase, representing a net deficit of USD 3.26 billion in 2007, as compared to USD 1.45 billion in 2006, a 125% increase from the previous year.[24] This trend is caused by Brazilians taking advantage of the stronger Real to travel and making relatively cheaper expenditures abroad.[24] Brazilian traveling overseas in 2006 represented 3.9% of the country's population.[25]
In 2005, tourism contributed with 3.2% of the country's revenues from exports of goods and services, and represented 7% of direct and indirect employment in the Brazilian economy.[26] In 2006, direct employment in the sector reached 1.87 million people.[27] Domestic tourism is a fundamental market segment for the industry, as 51 million traveled throughout the country in 2005,[28] and direct revenues from Brazilian tourists reached USD 21.8 billion,[29] 5.6 times more receipts than international tourists in 2005.
The following is a comparative summary of Brazil's tourism industry key performance indicators as compared with countries considered among the most popular destinations in Latin America, and relevant economic indicators are included to show the relative importance that international tourism has on the economy of the selected countries.
Tourist visa requirements have been waived for citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, and Venezuela.
Tourist visas also applies to lecturers at conferences, for visiting relatives and/or friends, unpaid participation in athletic or artistic event or competition (in this case an invitation letter from the sponsoring organization in Brazil is required), and unpaid participation in a scientific/academicseminar or conference sponsored by a research or academic institution (in this case, an invitation letter from the sponsoring organization in Brazil is required).[37]
Geopark Paleorrota is the main area of geotourism in Rio Grande do Sul and one of the most important in Brazil. With 83,000km2 (32,000sqmi) inside 281,000km2 (108,000sqmi) of the state, where many fossils of the Permian and Triassic period, with ages ranging between 210 and 290 million years ago, when there were only the continent Pangaea.
Domestic tourism is a key market segment for the tourism industry in Brazil. In 2005, 51 million Brazilian nationals made ten times more trips than foreign tourists and spent five times more money than their international counterparts.[28] The main destination states in 2005 were São Paulo (27.7%), Minas Gerais (10.8%), Rio de Janeiro (8.4%), Bahia (7.4%), and Santa Catarina (7.2%). The top three states by trip origin were São Paulo (35.7%), Minas Gerais (13.6%).[28]
In terms of tourism revenues, the top earners by state were São Paulo (16.4%) and Bahia (11.7%). For 2005, the three main trip purposes were visiting friends and family (53.1%), sun and beach (40.8%), and cultural tourism (12.5%).[25]
Tourism by regions of Brazil
Florianópolis, the second most visited city in the countryIguazu Falls, Paraná, in Brazil-Argentina border, is the third most popular destination for foreign tourists who come to Brazil for pleasureSão Paulo, the financial capital of Brazil is one of the most sought after places in tourism by having different culturesBoa Viagem beach in Recife
The Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida is the second largest Catholic church in the world in interior area after the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil. It has the second largest economy of Brazil, with the largest being that of the state of São Paulo. The state, which has 8.2% of the Brazilian population, is responsible for 9.2% of the Brazilian GDP.
Rio Grande do Sul is a state in the southern region of Brazil. It is the fifth-most populous state and the ninth-largest by area. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Rio Grande do Sul is bordered clockwise by Santa Catarina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Uruguayan departments of Rocha, Treinta y Tres, Cerro Largo, Rivera, and Artigas to the south and southwest, and the Argentine provinces of Corrientes and Misiones to the west and northwest. The capital and largest city is Porto Alegre. The state has the highest life expectancy in Brazil, and the crime rate is relatively low compared to the Brazilian national average. Despite the high standard of living, unemployment is still high in the state, as of 2017. The state has 5.4% of the Brazilian population and it is responsible for 6.6% of the Brazilian GDP.
Santa Catarina is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil. It is located in the centre of the country's Southern region. It is bordered to the north by the state of Paraná, to the south by the state of Rio Grande do Sul, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by the Argentine province of Misiones.
Florianópolis is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as well as part of the mainland. It has a population of 537,211, according to the 2022 Brazilian census, the second-most populous city in the state, and the 39th in Brazil. The metropolitan area has an estimated population of 1,111,702, the 21st largest in the country. The city is known for having the country's third highest Human Development Index score among all Brazilian cities (0.847).
The Brazil socio-geographic division is a slightly different division than the Brazilian Division by Regions. It separates the country into three different and distinctive regions:
The Brazilian Highway System is a network of trunk roads administered by the Ministry of Transport of Brazil. It is constructed, managed and maintained by the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT), federal agency linked to the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the public works departments of state governments.
Angra dos Reis is a municipality located in the southern part of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. The city is located by the sea and includes in its territory many offshore islands, the largest being Ilha Grande.
Ubatuba is a Brazilian municipality, located on the southeast coast, in the state of São Paulo. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 92,819 in an area of 723.88 km2, of which 83% is located in the Serra do Mar State Park.
Alto Paraíso de Goiás, usually referred to as Alto Paraíso, is a municipality located in the northeastern region of the state of Goiás, Brazil. The city is located in the Chapada dos Veadeiros and, since 2001, in the environmental protection area (APA) of Pouso Alto. Alto Paraíso is about 220 km from Brasilia/DF and 412 km from Goiânia/GO. Alto Paraíso is located in the central Brazilian Highlands, a region characterized by the cerrado biome, also known as the Brazilian savannah. The region offers many natural and cultural attractions related to the ecotourism.
Portuguese is the official and national language of Brazil being widely spoken by most of the population. Brazil is the most populous Portuguese-speaking country in the world, with its lands comprising the majority of Portugal's former colonial holdings in the Americas.
The coastline of Brazil measures 7,491 km, making it the 16th longest national coastline in the world. The coastline touches exclusively the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil's coastline has many geographical features such as islands, reefs, bays, and its 2,095 beaches.
The 2009 swine flu pandemic spread to Brazil on April 25, 2009, with two people, spreading to 34 over the first two weeks. CDC calculate that Africa and Southeast Asia, which have 38% of the world's population, accounted for a disproportionate 51% of the deaths.
The Tietê Bus Terminal is the largest bus terminal in Latin America, and the second largest in the world, after the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. The terminal is located in the Santana district in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The official name in Portuguese is Terminal Rodoviário Governador Carvalho Pinto, named after Carlos Alberto Alves de Carvalho Pinto, a former Governor of the State of São Paulo.
The Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, or Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve, is a biosphere reserve covering remnants of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, including fully protected and sustainable use conservation units and buffer zones. It is the largest such reserve in the world.
João Maria was the name given to three lay monks who were in turn active in southern Brazil during the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century, although two originally had other names and the third was only called João Maria after his death. They were all ascetic wanderers and preachers who healed with herbs. The third led a peasant revolt in 1912. Their followers think they were the same person in different incarnations, a saint. The Monge State Park maintains a cave where the first monk once lived, visited by thousands of pilgrims annually.
João Maria D'Agostini, or Giovanni Maria de Agostini, was a lay monk of Italian origin who travelled widely in South and North America preaching and healing with herbal remedies. He drew large crowds who believed that he was a holy man who could work miracles, although the authorities often viewed him with suspicion.
Vinicius Renê Lummertz Silva is a Brazilian politician and former Minister of Tourism of Brazil.
↑ Diretoria de Turismo (2006). "Boletim Anual São Paulo Turismo"(PDF) (in Portuguese). Prefeitura de São Paulo. Retrieved 2008-11-20.[dead link] see 2.1.3 "Receitas setor trurístico 2005".
↑ EMBRATUR (2006). "Anúario Estatístico Volume 33 2006"(PDF) (in Portuguese). Ministério do Turismo. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2008-09-09. Retrieved 2008-06-22. Tables 4.1 a 4.4: Summary Brasil by trip purpose 2004-2005
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