Between mountains, sea, culture and Christ the Redeemer – one of the New 7 Wonders of the World – about 2,196,443 international tourists arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 2025, consolidating its position as one of the main gateways to Brazil for foreign visitors. The growth was 43.7% compared to the accumulated total of the previous year, when 1,528,133 arrived.
Summer arrived early, full of sun, diversity and experiences that go far beyond postcards. In December alone, 223,515 international tourists arrived in the state, a growth of 32% compared to the same period of 2024, when 169,357 arrivals were recorded.
According to the president of Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, the growing interest reflects the plurality of Rio that presents itself to the world. “Río is proving that it is much more than beauty. We are revealing its diversity, with ecotourism, peripheral culture, afrotourism, gastronomy and an interior full of charm and authenticity. The world wants to know Rio in its entirety,” he says.
For Freixo, Rio de Janeiro, which never ceases to be a fashionable place, continues to reinvent itself and invites the world to sing, dance and live their own samba more and more strongly.
Main issuing countries
Rio de Janeiro’s performance in 2025 reflects the general trend experienced by the country. Since Brazil closed the year with 9,287,196 international tourists. This result represents an increase of 37.1% compared to 2024 and confirms the consolidation of the country as an increasingly competitive destination worldwide.
Among the country’s issuing markets, Argentina remains in the lead with 3,386,823 tourists, which reaffirms the strength of regional tourism and South American integration. They were followed by Chileans, with 801,921 visitors, and Americans, who totaled 759,637 arrivals in Brazil in 2025. Travelers from European countries such as France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain totaled 1,274,567 visitors.
This record confirms the leading role of tourism as an engine of economic development, job creation and the strengthening of Brazil’s image abroad, in addition to predicting a promising scenario for the coming years, in line with the guidelines of the National Tourism Plan.