Embratur and the Ministries of Ports and Airports (MPor) and Tourism (MTur) announced, this Tuesday (10), the first announcement of the International Tourism Acceleration Program (PATI) for 2025. The program, which was implemented this year as a pilot project, aims to increase the number of seats on international flights to Brazil. The initiative provides for the creation of public-private partnerships with airlines and airports, and will make regionalized announcements – the first, in January, will focus on attracting flights to the Northeast.
The launching ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Nordeste Consortium in Brasilia. The event was attended by the president of Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, the ministers of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, and of Tourism, Celso Sabino, the governor of Rio Grande do Norte and the president of the Nordeste Consortium, Fátima Bezerra.
In his speech, Freixo highlighted that PATI 2025 “is a leap forward in relation to the pilot project” carried out in 2024. “And this only happens because within the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Ports and Airports and Embratur there is a permanent dialogue. We have been working together since the first week. And today we can achieve it thanks to this capacity for dialogue. And the leap we are taking now is very big. We started with R$ 63 million in investments. This will reach more than R$ 120 million [with the participation of airlines and airports],” he said.
“When we regionalize, we want to reach each region of Brazil faster and more objectively. We will do it in all regions and it is very important to start with the Northeast. I want the Northeast to compete with the Caribbean and, for that, we need to integrate regional promotion. This concept is already a step forward for a country that is currently engaged in dialogue. A country does not have democracy if it does not have dialogue. I think it is a great leap for us to generate employment, income and development,” he added.
Moving forward with PATI
Minister Silvio Costa Filho stressed that the intention is to continue strengthening PATI. “We know that for every four tourists who come to a city, one job is created. So this stimulates the economy. Our idea is to continue moving forward with this program. Our expectation is that next year we can contribute more than 100 million reais,” he said.
Minister Celso Sabino described PATI as “historical.” “I have no doubt that we are making history with programs like PATI and others from the Federal Government. With the association of state governments, we are turning the key to our country’s economy. I would like to greet all those involved in the process on behalf of my dear friend Marcelo Freixo, to whom I pay all my respects for the success of international tourism and the effectiveness of the country’s international promotion.”
Governor Fátima Bezerra also celebrated the launch. “PATI was an idea that was born within Embratur, together with Marcelo Freixo. And this idea prospered and was only possible thanks to the sensitivity of the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, as well as the sensitivity of the Minister of Tourism, Celso Sabino. That is why I want to say how happy we are to be here today, together with the Federal Government, to launch this very important initiative to promote the arrival of foreign tourists to our country, especially to our Northeast,” she celebrated.
Also participating in the meeting were Embratur's Director of International Marketing, Business and Sustainability, Bruno Reis, the Agency's Coordinator of Demands and Multimodal Transport, Phillipe Karat, and the governors João Azevedo, from Paraíba; Elmano Freitas, from Ceará; Rafael Fonteneles, from Piauí, and Fábio Mitidieri, from Sergipe, in addition to the Secretary of Tourism of Bahia, Maurício Bacelar, and representatives of the civil aviation and tourism sectors.
Investment
PATI's investment in 2025 will be R$ 63.6 million, with the expectation of generating at least 500 thousand new jobs within one year.
The pilot project has already invested R$ 3.3 million and secured 70,000 seats on international flights for the 2024/2025 summer season (from October 27 to March 30). Brazil will have a record number of seats on international flights for the season: 7.48 million, an increase of 19% compared to the summer of 2023/2024.
For this first regionalized call, focused on the Northeast, R$ 24 million will be invested, with the expectation of attracting at least 260 thousand new seats on international flights within one year. The program reinforces the Federal Government's commitment to regional development by strengthening international tourism.
The statement invites airlines and airports (in partnership with companies) to launch new international flights to Brazil and to submit investment proposals to promote these new flights, with actions such as advertising campaigns in the country of origin of the route and campaigns to promote the organization of trips with journalists, digital influencers and foreign tour operators at the destination, for example. Embratur's counterpart is financial: with resources from FNAC, the Agency finances part of the promotional actions for these new air routes.
PATI in 2024
The pilot edition of the program represented an increase of 70,222 new seats on international flights to Brazil, in the period from October 27, 2024 to March 29, 2025, compared to the same period of the previous year. All this in the first round. In total, Embratur received 120 proposals for new routes or increased frequencies of international flights.
On June 11, Freixo, Costa Filho and MTur Executive Secretary Ana Carla Lopes announced the delivery of acceptance letters to Azul Linhas Aéreas, Latam Airlines and Guarulhos Airport, in partnership with Iberia.
The Latam flight connects Lima (Peru) with the Curitiba airport (PR), the Azul flight connects Assunção (Paraguay) with the Viracopos airport (SP), and the Iberia flight, in a proposal sent by the GRU Airport (Guarulhos Airport), aims to increase the frequency from 7 to 14 weekly flights on the route that connects the terminal with Madrid (Spain).
In the innovation axis of the pilot program, EmbraturLAB, the Agency's innovation laboratory, held a competition to accelerate two projects to improve the experience of foreign tourists, in collaboration with the Brazilian Airport Network (ABR) and the Technological Association of Santa Catarina (ACATE). The companies Blumaps and Strelo Aeroportos were included.
Source: Embratur.