6.52 million visitors in eight months puts country on track to surpass 8 million by year’s end
Brazil is on the brink of breaking its all-time record for international tourism arrivals after welcoming 6.52 million foreign visitors between January and August 2025. The figure represents a 46.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024 and is already close to last year’s full-year total of 6.77 million.
Embratur President Marcelo Freixo described the milestone as transformative for the sector. “In just eight months, we are already very close to the historic record of 6.77 million tourists arriving in Brazil throughout 2024. In the coming months, all the incoming tourists will contribute to the record at the end of the year, when we will surpass 8 million tourists. We have changed our status; tourism is now the sustainable industry that generates jobs throughout the country.”
Record-breaking August
August 2025 delivered 576,000 international arrivals, the best August in Brazil’s history and a 37.8 percent increase compared to the same month in 2024. The figure surpasses the August 2016 peak of 537,000 visitors, a record set during the Rio Olympic Games.
This year’s performance also eclipses historic figures from 2016 to 2018, when Brazil registered between 4.4 million and 4.6 million visitors during the same January-to-August period.
Policy and promotion paying off
Officials attribute the surge to coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and Embratur to improve air connectivity, diversify offerings and boost Brazil’s international profile. Celso Sabino, Minister of Tourism and President of the UN Tourism Executive Board, said the results signal Brazil’s growing stature.
“Brazil is more open and connected to the world than ever before. These numbers show that our efforts to qualify, promote, and structure tourism are yielding concrete results. We are not only achieving, but exceeding our goals and placing Brazil at the level it deserves: that of a global tourism powerhouse,” Sabino said.
Where visitors are coming from
Argentina remains the largest source of inbound tourists, with more than 2.6 million arrivals so far this year. Chile follows with 539,000 visitors, and the United States with over 516,000. European markets are also expanding: France, Portugal, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom collectively sent more than 740,000 travellers.
The UK stands out with 121,619 arrivals in the first eight months of 2025, up 20.3 percent compared to the same period in 2024, when just over 101,000 British tourists visited.
Leading gateways
São Paulo continues to be Brazil’s primary point of entry, receiving more than 1.8 million visitors through its airports. Rio de Janeiro welcomed 1.4 million, while Rio Grande do Sul recorded over 1.2 million.
Freixo highlighted São Paulo’s role in driving growth: “We’ve reached a new level. Tourism today is a sustainable industry that generates jobs throughout the country. And São Paulo is an integral and inseparable part of this success. It’s the country’s major gateway, vibrant for business, but also for leisure and gastronomy.”
Outlook for 2025
With Brazil on pace to surpass 8 million international visitors by the end of the year, industry leaders believe the country is cementing its reputation as a leading global destination. The figures reflect not only the rebound from pandemic-era disruptions but also sustained structural changes in how Brazil develops and markets its tourism sector.
If the momentum continues, Brazil will close 2025 having achieved its strongest performance in international tourism to date, a milestone likely to shape future investment in infrastructure, hospitality and cultural promotion.
