International tourists who visited Brazil during 2023 left a record amount of US$6.9 billion (34.5 trillion reais) in the country, according to data from the Central Bank (Bacen). The value exceeds by 1.5% the highest collection from international tourism recorded in 2014, the year in which the country hosted the Soccer World Cup. A decade ago, foreign visitors left a total of US$6.8 billion in our economy.
The goal set by the Executive in the Brazilian National Tourism Plan was an increase of 8.58% in income generated by international tourism in 2023, but the result was an annual growth of 41 percent. In 2022, international tourists left US$4.9 billion in Brazil. The new National Plan for the sector, approved at the end of January by the National Tourism Council, establishes the goal of reaching, in 2027, the figure of US$ 8.1 billion.
"This historic result is the result of the work carried out by Lula's government, which reconnected Brazil with the world after four years of international isolation. The president always affirms that the Brazil of democracy, diversity, sustainability and respect has returned, the world understood the message and is embracing our country and we are very proud to be able to make tourism generate employment, income and improve the lives of Brazilians," said the president of Embratur, Marcelo Freixo.
The historic mark coincides with a year of recovery in tourism. In 2023, the number of international tourists entering was equal to the pre-pandemic period: there were approximately six million visitors, a figure that exceeded the estimate of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) by 3% and is equivalent to 93% of arrivals in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
Country ranking - In 2023, Argentina remained the main country of origin of tourists to Brazil, with 1.9 million visitors (32% of the total). Next are the United States, with 668.5 thousand (11%); Chile, with 458.5 thousand (7.7%); Paraguay, with 424.5 thousand (7.1%) and Uruguay, with 334.7 thousand (5.6%). France is the main issuing country in Europe and occupies sixth position, with 187.5 thousand tourists (3.1%), followed by Portugal, with 158.5 thousand (3%). Germany with 158.5 thousand (2.6%), the United Kingdom with 130.2 thousand (2.2%) and Italy with 129.4 thousand (2.2%) complete the Top 10.
Also last year, the arrivals of Chileans were the highest in the historical series, which took the country back to third place among the main emitters, displacing Paraguay and resuming the position it occupied until 2018. However, the arrival of Paraguayans also grew and reached the best result since 1999, when the number of tourists to the country was 501 thousand.
Connectivity - The record in foreign exchange and the recovery in the number of international tourists, equivalent to the pre-health crisis period, are due, among other factors, to a series of actions by Embratur, including the increase in connectivity. In this case, both in 2019 and 2023, the number of flights offered by airlines was 64.8 thousand. The number is more than 40% higher than in 2022, when the supply was 46.2 thousand.
Regarding the number of seats on flights, 2023 had a supply that was 32.47% higher than 2022. It went from 9.7 million in the previous year to 12.9 million last year, a figure that corresponds to 89.16% of the 2019 offer, which was 14.5 million. The figures are part of a survey on international tourist arrivals to Brazil, carried out by the Embratur Data Information and Intelligence Department.
According to the analysis of the sector, the recovery of supply is important because air transport is the main means of arrival of international tourists to Brazil. The survey was prepared considering the end of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern decreed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2023.
The numbers of foreign visitors are from the Embratur Data Management in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism (MTur) and the Federal Police (PF).