Foreign tourists spent $3.7 bi in Brazil in first half of 2024
International visitors spent $3.7 billion (BRL 20.9 billion) in Brazil from January to June this year. This amount sets a record for the period, surpassing spending from the first half of 2014, the World Cup year in the country.
Prior to this, the first six months leading up to the World Cup that year held the record, with travelers injecting about $3.5 billion (BRL 20.2 billion) into the national economy.
The data, released by Brazil’s Central Bank on Monday (Jul. 29), show a 15.6 percent increase compared to the first half of 2023, when foreigners spent $3.2 billion (BRL 18.2 billion).
In a statement, Tourism Minister Celso Sabino highlighted Brazil's emergence as a top, competitive, and valued international destination. “We are increasingly attracting international visitors with a remarkable diversity of tourist experiences,” he said.
The record inflow of foreign currency parallels a rise in international tourists arriving in Brazil. From January to June this year, over 3.59 million foreign tourists visited Brazilian attractions, marking a 9.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023 and a 1.9 percent rise from 2019.
Rio de Janeiro achieved its best result in a decade, welcoming 760,200 international tourists in the first half of the year, largely due to Carnival, according to the Brazilian International Tourism Promotion Agency Embratur. This represents a 19.89 percent increase over the same period in 2023 and is the second highest on record, surpassed only by the World Cup year.
According to Embratur president Marcelo Freixo, international tourism is a significant economic driver contributing to Brazil's development. “When we talk about this historic revenue, we're talking about generating jobs and income throughout the country, building an economy that values our culture and promotes environmental sustainability,” Freixo points out.
