A new report released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization has positioned Brazil among the top three countries globally for international tourism growth in 2025, highlighting a remarkable surge in foreign visitor numbers.
According to the latest figures shared by UN Tourism, Brazil is forecasted to see the second highest increase in international tourist arrivals this year, surpassed only by Paraguay.
As stated in a social media post from UN Tourism, “the country will have the second highest growth in foreign tourist arrivals in 2025, behind only Paraguay.”
The post further emphasises the strong performance of the Americas in early 2025, noting that “Paraguay (53%), Brazil (48%), and Chile (48%)” are currently leading all nations worldwide in terms of tourism growth. The report also evaluates other key metrics such as visitor revenues and sector-wide indicators to measure overall international tourism performance.
Brazil’s rise in the rankings solidifies its status as a major player in the global tourism market. As highlighted in the UN World Tourism Barometer, “while Brazil grew 48%, the entire world grew 5% compared to the previous year, and 3% above pre-pandemic year 2019.”
Embratur’s president Marcelo Freixo sees the ranking as further confirmation of Brazil’s global image repositioning, maintaining its high profile among international travellers. “Brazil’s presence among the leaders on this list demonstrates our country’s strength as a sought-after tourist destination worldwide. We are growing far beyond the global average, and this is the result of our ongoing international promotion efforts. We are trending, breaking record after record, and promoting social development through tourism, which generates jobs and income in our country. It’s good for both those who visit us and those who live here”, he added.
In the Americas, international arrivals increased by 2%. Countries like Gambia, Israel, and Vietnam also top the list, demonstrating the interest in less traditional destinations like the United States and European countries. In the first three months of the year, more than 300 million tourists took international trips, approximately 14 million more than in the same months of 2024.
Historic Performance
The UN Tourism report reinforces Brazil’s historic moment in international tourism. Data from Embratur, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Federal Police show that never before have so many foreigners arrived in the country. In the first half of 2025 alone, the country welcomed 5,332,111 international tourists – a 48.2% increase compared to the same period last year and the best result in the historical series for a first half of the year.
Among the main sending countries to Brazil, Argentina leads the way with 2,323,891 visitors in the first semester of 2025, followed by Chile (442,993) and the United States (410,189). Uruguay with 308,956 tourists and Paraguay (306,523) complete the top five.
Next comes France with 132,939 visitors, followed by Portugal (128,114), Germany (103,483) and the UK with 97,413 in ninth place.
The figure for British tourists is 20% higher than the number for the same period in 2024, when 81,200 visitors from the UK visited Brazil in the first semester.
International Tourism Growth Ranking (UN Tourism)
1) Paraguay (53%)
2) Brazil (48%)
3) Chile (48%)
4) Gambia (46%)
5) Israel (31%)
6) Vietnam (30%)
7) Japan (23%)
8) North Macedonia (22%)
9) Morocco (22%)
10) Egypt (21%)
11) Lithuania (21%)
12) Palau (20%)
13) Mongolia (19%)
14) Malta (19%)
15) Ecuador (17%)
16) Curaçao (17%)
17) Latvia (16%)
18) Finland (15%)
19) Iran (14%)
