With a record number of foreigners, has Brazil finally become fashionable in international tourism?

Argentine friends enjoy the beach in Rio
Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP via Getty Images
On the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, you've never heard so much Spanish; in Santa Catarina's businesses, Pix has never been used so much by tourists; at the airports of the capitals of the Northeast, planes never arrived with so many "gringos".
Brazil ended 2025 breaking a record in international tourism: almost 9.3 million foreigners visited the country, an impressive growth of 37.1% compared to 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.
This is the highest volume ever observed in the historical series, starting in 1970, driven especially by the mass arrival of Argentines.
The "hermanos" were responsible for 36% of the international tourist flow in the country, with almost 3.4 million visitors. In the previous year, the number was 1.9 million (29% of the total), which indicates growth of 73%.
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Foreigners have also never spent so much here, disbursing US$7.86 billion (R$41.4 billion) on trips to Brazil in 2025, according to data released by the Central Bank - the highest value in the historical series, starting in 1994.
On the global stage, Brazil was the highlight in 2025, according to the most recent report from the tourism arm of the United Nations (UN Tourism) - last year, it was the country with the fastest growth in the arrival of foreigners, well ahead of the next ones on the list, Egypt (+20%), Morocco (+14%) and Seychelles (+13%).
The report by the international tourism industry consultancy Phocuswright that measures the number of reservations linked to travel in the world, shows Brazil leading global growth.
Compared to 2024, there were 37.3% more reservations, far ahead of second place, Mexico, which grew 18.2%.
BBC News Brasil consulted Brazilian and foreign experts to find out if these numbers indicate whether Brazil has in fact entered the international tourism route.
Even with its continental size and varied attractions, Brazil has always had modest numbers of international travelers compared to smaller countries such as Mexico (with 45 million visitors in 2024, driven by American tourism in Cancún) and Thailand (33 million in 2025).
In 2024, Brazil received fewer tourists than even the Dominican Republic (with its Punta Cana resorts) and Colombia.
The positive results of 2025, therefore, they are seen with optimism by the market and researchers, despite some caution due to the large increase in numbers of Argentines.
According to professor Alexandre Parnosso Netto, tourism researcher at USP (University of São Paulo), the raw data is positive and shows that the country has once again appeared on the radar of different markets around the world. Americas, Ian Ackland assesses that Brazil is experiencing a clear increase in international visibility and relevance.
"This is reflected not only in official tourism numbers, but also in initial signs of travelers' intentions, such as search behavior", he says.
Major events, such as Lady Gaga's concert in Rio, attracted tourists to Brazil
DANIEL RAMALHO/AFP via Getty Images
On Booking.com, one of the largest global platforms in the sector, according to Ackland, Brazil has been attractive all year round, not restricted to a single high summer season, with growth exponential increase in searches for cities such as São Paulo, Búzios and Florianópolis.
In the 2026 list of destinations that will be trends during the year, Booking included Manaus, which is the gateway to the Amazon.
Carolina Sass de Haro, analyst at international consultancy Phocuswright and partner in Brazil at consultancy Mapie, agrees that there is optimism: "It was a year of structural change, and not just a 'good summer'", he says.
But how did Brazil achieve good results and what can still be done?
The Argentine boom
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The data leaves no doubt that the almost 3.4 million Argentines were mainly responsible for the significant growth of international tourism in Brazil.
They could be seen especially in the border states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná, as well as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Bahia and Pernambuco, according to data from Embratur.
Argentine leadership is nothing new. Historically, the country is the main source of tourists arriving in Brazil.
According to professor Alexandre Parnosso Netto, Argentines like Brazil for several reasons: geographic proximity, climate, beaches, hospitality, relatively affordable prices and cultural affinity.
"For Argentines, even if they have already been to Chile or Uruguay, usually the first truly international trip is to Brazil, because of the different culture and language," he said.
This year's record number of visits is due to a combination of factors that have a lot to do with the Argentine economy.
To try to control the chronic problem of inflation, Javier Milei's government has used a monetary policy that tries to keep the peso valued in real terms compared to the dollar (or the real).
This means that the purchasing power of the peso for purchases (and trips) abroad in 2025 was greater compared to previous years.
At the same time, Argentina has become more expensive in dollars (which drives away international tourists) and for Argentines themselves, who have paid more for basic services and whose salaries often do not keep up with accumulated inflation.
As a result, in some cases, spending summer holidays in Florianópolis (where many can get there by car) can be cheaper than traveling to Mar del Plata, the country's traditional resort.
Argentineans are still increasingly counting on a facility that Brazilians already know: Pix.
Iguaçu Falls are a consolidated destination
Evaristo Sa / AFP via Getty Images
Several Argentine digital platforms now offer tourists in Brazil the possibility of paying via QR code, with fewer fees than credit cards.
In the first half of January alone, more than US$8 million (R$42.2 million) in transactions were recorded, according to data compiled by the newspaper La Nación.
For analyst Carolina Sass de Haro, despite the strong dependence on the Argentine market, the most relevant data from 2025 is that, even disregarding its neighbors, Brazil registered more than 1 million additional tourists coming from other markets, especially the USA and Europe.
"This shows that the movement is more than cyclical: it is a repositioning of Brazil on the global tourism map", he says.
"Dependence on Argentina is still a concern. If there is a strong loss of purchasing power, we will feel the impact. But, according to our scenarios, the biggest risk is not losing Argentine tourists, but rather not being able to replace this concentration with a more balanced mix of source markets", adds de Haro.
Brazil matches global tourism trends
Brazil's growth in the sector is accompanied by a global recovery in post-pandemic tourism - which returned to almost 100% of pre-2020 levels in 2024 and grew again in 2025.
But, As the data makes clear, Brazil has gained more traction than other countries.
This is due, according to the experts consulted, to a combination of good strategies and plans from public authorities, in addition to the country fitting into the biggest current travel trends.
One of the initiatives mentioned is the "Brasis Plan", launched by Embratur in partnership with Sebrae, which defines guidelines for the international promotion of Brazil until 2027, with specific strategies for each State and for a better distribution of the tourist flow across the country. country.
In addition to improving the international image and greater institutional articulation, professor Alexandre Parnosso Netto assesses that Brazil has got another point right: communication more in line with what contemporary tourists seek.
"That is: experiences, cultural diversity and nature", he says.
Tourist participates in a capoeira circle in Salvador
Emmanuele Contini/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Analyst Carolina Sass de Haro realizes that Brazilian communication has ceased to focus exclusively on "sun and beach", highlighting sustainability, cultural diversity, gastronomy and authentic experiences.
"There is a growing global demand for nature and authenticity, a search for destinations with good value for money and a certain exhaustion of overcrowded destinations", he says.
In the assessment of Ian Ackland, from Booking.com, the platform's most recent research has indicated great global interest in more "spontaneous and exploratory" travel.
"It is a trend that benefits destinations such as Brazil, which offer a large number of experiences in a single country", he assesses.
Booking.com data also shows that 43% of travelers want to connect with nature and 59% would embark for a destination even if it meant facing language barriers - two other trends that benefit Brazil.
The country also saw an increase in the offer of international flights and routes, as well as important advances in investments in hotels.
In December alone, there were 6,811 international flights, an increase of 10% compared to December 2024. By September 2026, 64 new flights and 16 additional frequencies have already been authorized by the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac).
Added to this is the almost spontaneous marketing of travel influencers on social media and the presence of famous people who enjoyed the country - such as the case of singer Dua Lipa, who performed in November in Rio and São Paulo, without ceasing to visit and post for almost 90 million followers photos in both cities.
"With social media, influencers, artists and ordinary visitors end up functioning as informal ambassadors of the country, showing a Brazil that is more diverse, welcoming and safe than many imagine", explains Parnosso Netto.
"These positive experiences shared in real time help to deconstruct the simplified and often stigmatized image of a 'dangerous country'."
Violence, however, continues to be seen as an obstacle for Brazil to establish itself even more on the international scene, in addition to the need for continuity of the public authorities' plans.
"In practice, Brazil is seen as an incredible destination, but one that requires specific planning and care. It is, yes, the 'hot spot', but still with an important asterisk: security", assesses analyst Carolina Sass de Haro.
"To truly enter the global route, it is not enough to communicate better."
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Lençóis Maranhenses is part of the Route of Emotions
Apolline Guillerot-Malick/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Analysis of international operators and search and booking data show that international tourism in Brazil maintains a persistent concentration in the same icons: Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguaçu, famous beaches in the Northeast (such as Porto de Galinhas, Pipa, around Salvador) and, to a lesser extent, the Amazon. In the case of Argentines, the coast of Santa Catarina also has a lot of strength.
But given the size of Brazil, there are several other destinations that could be explored on the international stage, in the view of the Argentines. experts.
These were some of the destinations with the potential to enter the international tourism route, according to the analysts interviewed for this report:
Pantanal
Attractions: the crystal-clear rivers of Bonito (MS) and the observation of unique fauna
Tourists observe animals in Buraco das Araras, in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul
Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images
Interior de Minas Gerais
Attractions: the waterfalls and food of Serra da Canastra and the charm of historic cities
Urban and riverside Amazon
Attractions: the cultural life of Belém and the experience in traditional communities near Manaus
Travelers can sleep in hammocks while sailing along the Amazon River
Marica van der Meer/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Coast of São Paulo
Attractions: the preserved forest beaches of São Sebastião and Ilhabela and easy access to the largest airport in the country
Interior of Rio Grande do Sul
Attractions: tourism in wineries and mountains
Rota das Emoções
Attractions: some of the most beautiful scenery in the country on the route that goes from Jericoacoara (CE) to Lençóis Maranhenses (MA), passing through the Parnaíba Delta (PI)
Cerrado
Attractions: waterfalls and trails in Chapada dos Veadeiros (GO) and Jalapão (TO)
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Source: G1