{"id":206577,"date":"2026-01-28T17:06:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T16:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/?p=206577"},"modified":"2026-01-28T17:52:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T16:52:11","slug":"brazils-soft-power-drives-record-9-3-million-foreign-tourists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/en\/brazils-soft-power-drives-record-9-3-million-foreign-tourists\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazil\u2019s soft power drives record 9.3 million foreign tourists"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo, Jan 28 (EFE).\u2014<\/strong> Brazil posted a historic tourism record in 2025<\/strong>, registering 9.3 million foreign arrivals<\/strong>, a 37.1% increase<\/strong> from 2024, driven largely by the country\u2019s soft power<\/strong>, which authorities aim to leverage further to accelerate growth in the sector.<\/p>\n

Brazil\u2019s soft power lies in its music, culture, cuisine and football<\/strong>\u2014a set of intangible values that shape the country\u2019s global image and play a decisive role in attracting visitors, explained Marcelo Freixo<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, president of Embratur<\/span><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen Brazil appears positively on global screens, when our music goes viral, when our festivals win over the world, a real desire to visit the country is sparked. That is what the data show: 2024 and 2025 were historic years, with records for tourist arrivals and revenues,\u201d Freixo told EFE.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Soft power as an economic driver<\/h2>\n

Freixo stressed that soft power, combined with a clear international promotion strategy<\/strong>, helps energize the economy, generate jobs and bring development to more regions of Brazil<\/span><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Tourism already accounts for 8% of Brazil\u2019s gross domestic product (GDP)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"File
File photo showing the president of Brazil\u2019s international tourism promotion agency Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, speaking during an interview with EFE in Rio de Janeiro. EFE\/ Andr\u00e9 Coelho\/FILE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A competitive edge<\/h2>\n

Among Brazil\u2019s most powerful attractions are Brazilians\u2019 warmth and joy<\/strong>, cultural expressions such as street samba circles<\/strong>, spiritual and religious traditions, mate drunk on Rio de Janeiro\u2019s beaches<\/strong>, and a\u00e7a\u00ed prepared in the Amazon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Brazil also offers culinary and nature experiences<\/strong> \u201cthat cannot be explained,\u201d but are capable of forging a strong emotional connection<\/strong> with visitors.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSoft power may be our most powerful differentiator. There are many beautiful destinations in the world, but few have the symbolic and emotional package that Brazil represents,\u201d Freixo said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"File
File photo showing a group of people taking part in a street parade by a comparsa in Rio de Janeiro. EFE\/ Andr\u00e9 Coelho\/FILE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

From cultural strength to strategic policy<\/h2>\n

The Embratur president noted that Brazil has long relied on its cultu<\/strong>ral strength<\/strong> for promotion, but in recent years this has evolved into an explicit, organized and data-backed strategy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Within that framework, the agency officially launched in late 2025 the campaign \u201cBrazil. It\u2019s a vibe. Come experience it,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0aimed at further boosting inbound tourism.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn the short term, we want to maintain and accelerate the pace of growth in international arrivals and increase average spending per tourist (\u2026) further driving our economy,\u201d Freixo said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Medium-term vision for tourism growth<\/h2>\n

In the medium term, he added, the goal is to strengthen Brazil\u2019s image as a cultural and creative powerhouse<\/strong>, diversify destinations and expand opportunities for sectors such as gastronomy, music, audiovisual production and traditional communities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is a strategy that seeks not just volume, but quality and real economic impact,\u201d he underlined.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"File
File photo showing two tourists taking a photo at Iguazu Falls, in Iguazu National Park in Foz do Igua\u00e7u (Brazil). EFE\/ Juan Pablo Pino\/FILE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Record after record in 2025<\/h2>\n
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Brazil<\/strong> exceeded the government target<\/strong> by 34.6% in 2025, led by Argentines<\/strong> with 3.3 million visitors, followed by Chileans<\/strong> and Americans<\/strong>, reaffirming strong regional tourism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Travelers from France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain<\/strong> totaled 1.2 million visitors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

According to UN Tourism<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, Brazil in 2025 grew almost 10 times faster than the global average<\/strong>, posting a 37.1% increase<\/strong> in arrivals versus a worldwide average of 4%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Rising spending and local impact<\/h2>\n

Brazil also set a new record for foreign tourist spending. <\/strong>Visitors\u00a0left\u00a0$7.865<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0billion<\/strong> in the country in 2025, up 7.1%<\/strong> from 2024, according to the Banco Central do Brasil<\/span><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For Freixo, the figures confirm tourism\u2019s role as \u201can economic engine for job and income generation\u201d<\/strong> that also benefits small businesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe expectation is to keep growing, always in a sustainable way, upgrading tourism and showing the world that Brazil is much more than a beautiful destination: it is a country that stirs emotion,\u201d he concluded. EFE<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

EFE published this report with the support of Embratur.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo, Jan 28 (EFE).\u2014 Brazil posted a historic tourism record in 2025, registering 9.3 million foreign arrivals, a 37.1% increase from 2024, driven largely by the country\u2019s soft power, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198164071,"featured_media":206579,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[123786],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBrazil\u2019s soft power drives record 9.3 million foreign tourists - EFE Comunica<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Brazil welcomed a record 9.3 million foreign tourists in 2025, driven by soft power rooted in culture, music and cuisine, Embratur president Marcelo Freixo said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/en\/brazils-soft-power-drives-record-9-3-million-foreign-tourists\/\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Brazil\u2019s soft power drives record 9.3 million foreign tourists - 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