Continuing its record-breaking streak, Brazil collected US$5.4 billion from international tourism between January and August 2025. This marks the eighth consecutive month of accumulated historic figures and represents an 11.69% increase compared to the US$4.8 billion recorded during the same period last year, according to data released by the Central Bank.
In August alone, foreign currency inflows from international tourism reached US$565 million, surpassing the US$555 million recorded in August 2024. This steady growth demonstrates consistent revenue performance, consolidating the tourism sector as a major driving force of the national economy, generating jobs and income, as highlighted by Embratur’s president, Marcelo Freixo.
“International tourism is one of the major drivers of our economy. Foreign visitors bring billions of dollars into the Brazilian market, boosting an entire production chain with the growth of micro and small businesses, which make up the vast majority of businesses in the sector. This record-breaking volume of resources also reflects the results of Embratur’s international promotion of Brazil, which has delivered another historic year for international tourism results in our country,” says Freixo.
Arrival of International Tourists
Embratur’s collaborative work with the Ministry of Tourism, local governments, and the private sector focuses on strengthening the presence of visitors from abroad. International promotional initiatives and the attraction of new flight routes aim to boost tourist flows and increase revenue for Brazil.
The rise in tourism revenue reflects a significant increase in the number of foreign visitors. From January to August 2025, Brazil welcomed 6.52 million international tourists, representing a 46.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This figure sets the highest cumulative total ever recorded for the first eight months of the year. The volume of visitors in 2025 is already close to last year’s full-year figure of 6.77 million international tourists.
In August alone, the country saw remarkable growth, with 576,000 international arrivals – a 37.8% increase compared to August 2024. This makes August 2025 the best August in history for tourism, even surpassing the record set in 2016, when the country received 537,000 visitors during the year of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Main Sources
Argentina continues to lead as the main source of international tourists to Brazil, with more than 2.6 million Argentines visiting Brazilian destinations so far this year. Chile follows with 539,000 visitors, and the United States ranks third with over 516,000 tourists.
European countries – France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom – together sent over 740,000 visitors to Brazil. The UK alone contributed 121,619 British tourists from January to August 2025, marking a 20.3% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when 101,094 travellers from the UK visited the country.
