Brazil welcomed 4.8 million international tourists over five months — 1 million to Rio de Janeiro

The number of international tourists who came to Brazil between January and May 2025 has broken all historical records for the period — 4.8 million foreign visitors. This is up 49.7% over the first five months of 2024, which registered 3.2 million tourists. The data were released on Thursday, June 12, in a joint announcement by the Ministry of Tourism (Ministério do Turismo/MTUR); the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Agência Brasileira de Promoção Internacional do Turismo/Embratur); and the Federal Police (Polícia Federal).

May was also a record month. Brazil registered 461,341 foreign visitors, up 37.4% over the same period last year, with 125,000 tourists. “We are reaping the benefits of a well-articulated strategy and consistent technical work. The travel sector is one of the main engines of Brazil’s economic and social development, and the data show that we are on the right path to transforming the country into one of the most competitive destinations in the world,” stated the Minister of Tourism Celso Sabino.

We are on the right path to transforming the country into one of the most competitive destinations in the world”

Celso Sabino, minister of Tourism

To Marcelo Freixo, president of Embratur, the moment Brazilian tourism is experiencing is unprecedented worldwide. “In 2025, international tourist arrivals increased by 50%, while the UN World Tourism Organization's forecast for the rest of the world is between 3% and 5%,” he emphasized. This reflects the improvement of Brazil’s image and President Lula’s foreign policy, aligned with democratic values and environmental commitment — but it is also the result of a qualified effort to attract international flights and promote Brazilian destinations abroad. Never before have so many tourists arrived, and they are arriving in a wider variety of destinations, regionalizing development and job creation,” Freixo stated.

RIO DE JANEIRO — The state of Rio de Janeiro was a highlight over the period, recording a 52.3% increase in international arrivals between January and May 2025 compared to the same period last year. The total number of tourists for the period was 1,032,537 this year, up from 677,878 between January and May 2024. In May alone, the state received 130,000 visitors, a 55.2% increase compared to 84,116 visitors in the same month the previous year.

Concerts by Lady Gaga (2025) and Madonna (2024) took place in those months. The data are available on Embratur’s Data Portal. “Rio de Janeiro is known worldwide as the gateway to international tourism in Brazil, and host of major events. Therefore, this growth reflects the effort to promote this destination abroad and attract even more international tourists, thus generating jobs and income for the people of Rio de Janeiro,” said Freixo.

ANNUAL TARGET — The cumulative number of tourists represents 70% of the goal set for the year by Brazil’s National Tourism Plan (Plano Nacional de Turismo /PNT) 2024–2027, which expects 6.9 million tourists to arrive in the country by December. The expectation is that the country will reach the mark of 8 million international tourists this year — the target expected by the end of the period.

SOURCE MARKETS — The five main countries that have been sending international tourists to Brazil accounted for 3.5 million of the 4.8 million arrivals registered between January and May. Argentina remains the leader, with 2.2 million visitors to Brazilian destinations, a 96.8% increase compared to last year. Chile ranks second, sending 387,611 visitors — a 31.6% increase. The United States came third, with 352,971 visitors, up 18.4%. Paraguay followed, sending 285,122 international tourists to Brazil — a 17.1% increase compared to the same period last year. Uruguay ranked fifth, with 277,858 foreign visitors, registering a 31.7% growth.