The opening of the 37th Festuris celebrates the power of connections in tourism

Thursday evening (6) marked the official opening ceremony of the 37th Festuris – Gramado International Tourism Fair, one of the most important tourism business events in the Americas. The event was attended by various authorities, including the National Secretary of Infrastructure, Credit and Investments of the Ministry of Tourism, Carlos Henrique Sobral; the Secretary of Tourism of Rio Grande do Sul, Ronaldo Santini; the President of the State Legislative Assembly, Representative Pepe Vargas; the Director of Tourism of Portugal in Brazil, Bernardo Cardoso; and the Mayor of Gramado, Nestor Tissot.

During the ceremony, the Friends of Festuris Trophy was awarded to people who contribute spontaneously and individually to the strengthening of the event, regardless of their position or role.

With the theme “Reimagining Tomorrow,” Festuris 2025 offers reflections on the role of humanity and technology in shaping the future of tourism. The fair takes place on November 7th and 8th at Serra Park in Gramado, featuring an intensive program with 110 speakers and over 60 hours of content. The event has seen a 15% increase compared to last year, with more than 400 booths and 17,000 participants.

In greeting the audience, Festuris CEO Marta Rossi emphasized that the meeting goes beyond the celebration of a trajectory of almost four decades: it is an invitation to transformation.

“After 37 years of history, we are not here just to celebrate the past, but to forge new connections and answer the most pressing question of our time: how humanity and technology come together to reimagine the future of tourism. True progress lies in using digital tools to strengthen what is irreplaceable in human relationships,” he stated.

Marta also highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism and Brazil's relevance on the global stage, especially with COP 30 approaching. She also announced a tribute to Costa Rica, a leading country in sustainability, and the launch of the Hortênsia Project, which combines tourism, education, and regional development.

Eduardo Zorzanello, who is also the CEO of Festuris, reinforced the event's purpose of generating a positive impact on the sector.

“More than numbers, what drives us are the results we deliver and the legacy we leave. We have never seen ourselves as just a fair, but as a transformative agent, capable of impacting the economic, social, and environmental development of tourism,” he emphasized.

Zorzanello also celebrated the progress of connectivity in Rio Grande do Sul, with the almost total resumption of flights in Porto Alegre and the future Vila Oliva airport, in addition to highlighting the global representativeness of this edition, which brings together 200 hosted buyers from different countries and 64 international destinations participating in the Fair.

The director of Tourism of Portugal in Brazil, Bernardo Cardoso, highlighted the importance of the Brazilian market for the growth of Portuguese tourism:

“Without you, we wouldn’t have gotten where we are. This year we probably reached more than 32 million tourists in Portugal, a country with only 10 million inhabitants. Brazilian tourists are very important for Portugal.”

For his part, the National Secretary of Infrastructure, Credit and Investments of the Ministry of Tourism, Carlos Henrique Menezes Sobral, who represented the Minister of Tourism, Celso Sabino —currently at COP 30—, highlighted the progress of international tourism in the country:

“For the first time, we have reached 7 million international tourists in Brazil. We had never reached that figure before, and we want to reach 10 million tourists this year.”

The Secretary of Tourism of Rio Grande do Sul, Ronaldo Santini, representing the Governor of the State, Eduardo Leite, emphasized the role of Festuris as a driving force for the development of the sector in the State:

“We are at the opening of the most incredible tourism event in Brazil and the Americas. We all know, Marta, Eduardo, how hard you work to promote this economy that transforms lives, generates opportunities, and has become our greatest potential for growth and economic recovery in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, after the floods,” the secretary concluded.

The mayor of Gramado, Nestor Tissot, welcomed the public:

“It is a pleasure to welcome you here to our city for these three days. Festuris is an icon of Brazilian tourism, a source of pride for our land, created 37 years ago in Gramado, as was Natal Luz, 40 years ago, also conceived by our people, in this small city that today has 44,000 inhabitants.”

With the purpose of connecting the world and building legacies, Festuris consolidates Gramado as the epicenter of great ideas in national and international tourism, reaffirming the event's commitment to innovation, sustainability and human development.

Text: Renata de Mattos | fernando@rossiezorzanello.com.br
Photos: Festuris/Disclosure