Historic record: international tourism injects US$ 6.9 billion into the Brazilian economy in 2023

The international tourists who visited Brazil during the year 2023 left a record amount of US$ 6.9 billion in the country, according to the Brazilian Central Bank. The amount surpasses by 1.5% the highest revenue from international tourism, recorded in 2014, the year when the country hosted the FIFA World Cup. A decade ago, foreign visitors left a total of US$ 6.8 billion in our economy.

The target set in the Brazilian National Tourism Plan was an increase in revenue generated by international tourism of 8.58% in 2023, but the result was an annual growth of 41%. In 2022, international tourists left US$ 4.9 billion in Brazil. The new National Tourism Plan, approved at the end of January by the National Tourism Council, sets a goal to reach US$ 8.1 billion by 2027.

"This historic record is the result of the work carried out by the President Lula’s government, which reconnected Brazil with the world after 4 years of international isolation. The president always affirms that the Brazil of democracy, diversity, sustainability, and respect is back. The world understood the message and is embracing our country. We are very proud to be part of this story and to make tourism generate employment, income, and improve the lives of Brazilians," said Marcelo Freixo, the president of Embratur.

The historic milestone occurs in a year of tourism recovery. In 2023, the entry of international tourists equaled the pre-pandemic period: there were approximately 6 million visitors. The level was 3% above the estimate by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), a specialized agency of the UN. In addition, the figure of international tourists in 2023 corresponds to 93% of the entries in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. The numbers of foreign visitors are from the Embratur Data Management in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism (MTur) and the Federal Police (PF).

COUNTRY RANKING - In 2023, Argentina remained the main source country of tourists for 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 European source country and ranks sixth, 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 arrival of Chileans was the highest in the historical series, putting the country back in third place among the main emitters, surpassing Paraguay and regaining the position it held until 2018. However, the arrival of Paraguayans also grew and reached the best result since 1999, when the number of tourists from the country was 501 thousand.

CONNECTIVITY - The record in foreign exchange and the recovery in the number of international tourists equivalent to the pre-sanitary 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 in 2023, the number of flights offered by airlines was 64.8 thousand. The number is more than 40% higher than in 2022, when the offer was 46.2 thousand.

Regarding the number of seats on flights, 2023 had an offer 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 offer in 2019, of 14.5 million. The sums are part of a survey of the reception of international tourists in Brazil according to Data Information and Intelligence Management of Embratur.

According to sector analysis, the recovery of supply is important because air travel is the main means of arrival for international tourists to Brazil. The survey was prepared considering the end of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2023.