Madrid, Jan 23 (EFE).- Almost 13% of European flights arriving in Brazil come from Spain and a new record number of flights and passengers is expected in 2025, according to the president of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion, Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, in an interview with EFE on Thursday.
Europe is the continent that sends most tourists to Brazil: in 2024 around 1.4 million Europeans landed at the country’s airports, an increase of 16% over the previous year.
Nearly 128,000 Spaniards arrived at Brazilian destinations last year, 12.9% of the total number of flights and 12% more than in 2023, placing it third among the countries with the highest transit to Brazil.
The president of Embratur described the figures as a “record” and said, during an interview at the Brazilian stand at the 45th Fitur International Tourism Fair in Madrid, that it is the result of his organization’s efforts to expand air travel “in an attempt to boost tourism to the country.”
However, Freixo considered there is still potential to connect more destinations directly with Spain, especially in the northeast, increasing foreign tourists’ access to “the best that the country has to offer.” In total, around 4,000 flights are to connect Europe with Brazil in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 14.4% compared to 2024.
In this way, he said that the supply of seats exceeds 1.2 million and reiterated that Brazil has a “very important” potential to develop tourism, a sector that currently represents 8% of GDP.
Nevertheless, in his opinion, the aim must go “beyond sun and beach tourism,” by promoting culture, gastronomy, and nature: “Brazil has six different biomes, it is a welcoming, happy, safe and well-prepared country to receive international tourists.”
In Spain, Embratur -an entity that supported EFE in the dissemination of this content- began in 2024 a collaboration with El Corte Inglés to promote the Amazon as a Brazilian tourist destination. Given the “very positive” response, this year the Pantanal region was added, “precisely one of the most important biomes in Brazil for its ability to influence the fight against climate imbalance.”
“One of the most fascinating routes in Brazil, that crosses the states of Ceará, Piauí, and Maranhão, the Route of Emotions, is the destination chosen to be featured at the fair in Spain.” Freixo sees it as an ideal tour for adventure and ecotourism lovers with a wide selection of trails and water sports, and the exploration of protected natural areas.
Located in the northeast of the country, the route is “a real jewel of Brazilian tourism,” with the landscapes of the Lençóis Maranhenses, the Parnaíba Delta, and the beaches of Jericoacoara, as well as authentic cultural experiences with local communities.
“At the fazendas (colonial plantations) there are guided tours in open all-terrain vehicles to see the fauna and flora. There are many interesting projects such as, for example, a safari, a program to protect jaguars in the Pantanal wetlands, you can observe and witness the life of these animals ‘in situ’ without any risk to visitors,” said Freixo. EFE