Brazil, the country with the greatest biodiversity in the world, was present at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London with a delegation of 50 co-exhibitors representing the diversity of Brazilian destinations. This event, one of the most important and influential in the global tourism industry, offers a unique opportunity for the country to strengthen its position as a top-level tourist destination and promote new business opportunities.
Aiming to attract even more international tourists, Brazil presented a diverse portfolio of experiences at WTM London, including landscapes from the Brazilian Cerrado, chosen as one of the best destinations for 2025 by National Geographic, to the recently designated UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, the Lençóis Maranhenses.
One of the highlights of WTM London was the meeting between Bruno Reis, Embratur's International Marketing Director, and Tatiana Turra, President of the Municipal Institute of Tourism of Curitiba, with the global team of Lonely Planet, in which Curitiba received the award recognizing it as one of the 10 best cities in the world to visit in 2025, according to Lonely Planet's prestigious Best in Travel 2025 book.
The event also featured the original cover of Wanderlust’s upcoming December 2024/January 2025 issue starring Brazil, issue #0001 of which was handed over to Embratur’s marketing team as a memorable keepsake in a sustainably printed, gold-foiled box by George Kipouros, the magazine’s editor-in-chief.
In parallel to the event, Brazil attended the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards 2024, which took place at the iconic Tate Modern on Wednesday 6th. The country once again stood out among the publication's readers for its diverse destinations, taking home Silver as the Most Desirable Destination for Nature and Wildlife and Bronze for Rio de Janeiro as the Most Desirable City in the World.
Business opportunities and destination promotion
The Brazil stand, organized by the Brazilian Tourism Corporation (Embratur) in collaboration with the Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises (Sebrae), allowed operators and agents to discover the country and experience its vibrant colors, flavors, rhythms, culture and landscapes. The lush regions of the Amazon and the Pantanal were highlighted with cooking shows led by renowned Brazilian chefs during WTM. Attendees had the opportunity to try regional ingredients from various parts of Brazil, as well as the famous caipirinha, a Brazilian drink made with lime and cachaça.
The Brazilian stand at WTM London covered 414 square metres and featured cultural attractions and immersive experiences, where visitors could discover the diverse destinations in Brazil. International operators and agents also had the opportunity to win air tickets to visit Brazilian destinations, such as the Amazon – with a new route inaugurated between Lisbon and Manaus (AM) – and the Pantanal, with a raffle for two round-trip tickets from London to Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso, one of the gateways for safari and nature immersion experiences.
"Brazil has taken on a global leadership role on key agendas. The country will host the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2024 and COP30 in Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, in 2025. These events place Brazil at the center of discussions on today's most pressing challenges, especially sustainable development. Tourism is a key sector that contributes to this dialogue. Our goal at WTM is to boost new business by positioning Brazilian destinations among the most sought-after in the world by major operators. With its lush biodiversity, stunning landscapes and rich culture, Brazil is ready for this," said Marcelo Freixo, President of Embratur.
“The green transition will be the main driver of global growth in the coming years and small businesses play a key role in taking advantage of these opportunities in tourism. Many entrepreneurs are already creating experiences that capitalize on Brazil’s biodiversity. Experiential tourism is becoming a reference. Brazil alone has the Amazon, with six biomes in a single country. Most of our tourism companies are small businesses, which creates more opportunities, inclusion and income generation,” said Décio Lima, president of Sebrae.
Brazil's participation at WTM London also aims to strengthen trade ties with Brazil's main tourist-sending markets, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. One of the highlights is the focus on new nature experiences and wildlife watching. Brazil is one of the top destinations for bird watching, with nearly 2,000 species in biomes such as the Amazon, Pantanal, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest.
Brazil-Europe connection
From January to September 2024, more than 741,000 tourists from countries such as France, Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain visited Brazil. This figure is 20% higher than in the same period in 2023, demonstrating the country's potential in the European market. The United Kingdom is the fourth largest European market for Brazil, with 111.1 thousand British tourists visiting the country until September 2024, 18.2% more than the 94 thousand visitors last year (January-September 2023).
Increasing connectivity between Brazil and Europe is also a priority strategy to expand business and increase international tourist flows to Brazil. In addition to the established direct flight routes between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and major European capitals such as London, Paris, Lisbon, Rome and Madrid, new routes are further expanding the possibilities for international visitors.
In October, a new route strengthened connectivity between one of Europe’s major capitals, Paris, and one of Brazil’s top destinations, Salvador (Bahia). Other direct routes between Lisbon (Portugal) and Belém (Pará), the host city of COP 30, and Manaus (Amazonas) serve as access points for cultural and immersion experiences in Brazilian nature, especially in the Amazon rainforest.
Source: Embratur.