Creating a corridor, not just a destination
In the quiet corridors of diplomatic exchange, Brazil's tourism agency Embratur is working to redraw the map of Caribbean and Atlantic travel. Marcelo Freixo, its president, has been meeting with Cuban officials and international carriers to forge new air routes connecting Havana, Recife, Lisbon, and Canada — a coordinated effort to weave Brazil's underserved Northeast into a broader regional tourism corridor. These are the kinds of conversations that rarely announce themselves loudly, yet carry the power to determine how millions of people move, spend, and discover the world in the years ahead.
- Brazil's Northeast, one of the country's most tourism-dependent regions, remains poorly connected to international air networks — a gap that costs it visitors and revenue every year.
- Embratur president Marcelo Freixo is not waiting for airlines to act; he is personally approaching Cuban diplomats, TAP Air Portugal, and domestic carrier Gol with a concrete vision for new routes.
- The most urgent proposal is a direct Havana-Recife flight with Gol, which would eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming connections through Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.
- Parallel negotiations with TAP Air Portugal aim to channel travelers from Lisbon and Canada directly into northeastern Brazilian cities, multiplying the region's international access points.
- If these routes materialize, they would create a seamless tourism corridor — a traveler could move from Lisbon through Havana to Recife with minimal friction, transforming the region's economic prospects.
Brazil's tourism agency Embratur is making a deliberate push to expand air connectivity between Cuba and Brazil's Northeast. In early February, agency president Marcelo Freixo met with officials from Cuba's embassy to discuss increasing flights through Havana — a low-profile diplomatic encounter with potentially significant consequences for how travelers move between the two countries.
Freixo's strategy is multi-pronged. He is pursuing new routes from Portugal and Canada into northeastern cities like Recife, with plans to engage TAP Air Portugal during an upcoming Lisbon visit. More concretely, he intends to meet with executives from Gol, Brazil's largest domestic airline, to advance a direct Havana-Recife connection — a route that would spare travelers the detour through Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo and open a new revenue stream for both carriers.
The broader vision is a regional tourism corridor linking the Atlantic and Caribbean worlds. A tourist landing in Havana could continue to Recife within hours, drawn by the Northeast's beaches, culture, and affordable accommodations. For a region that depends heavily on tourism revenue, improved connectivity is not merely convenient — it is economically consequential.
What distinguishes this effort is its coordination. Freixo is simultaneously engaging foreign governments, international carriers, and domestic airlines, pushing a coherent infrastructure vision rather than waiting for the market to act. The negotiations unfolding now in embassies and airline offices will quietly determine whether seamless journeys across this corridor become possible by 2024 — or remain a fragmented aspiration.
Brazil's tourism agency is making a quiet but deliberate push to open up the Caribbean. Marcelo Freixo, who leads Embratur, spent early February in talks with Cuba's embassy about something straightforward: more planes flying through Havana. The conversation happened on a Thursday, the kind of diplomatic meeting that rarely makes headlines but can reshape how people move between countries.
Freixo's ambitions extend beyond simply adding flights to an existing route. He is working to establish entirely new pathways into Brazil's Northeast region—the country's poorest and most tourism-dependent area. Part of that strategy involves conversations with TAP Air Portugal, which he planned to pursue during an upcoming trip to Lisbon. The goal is to create connections that originate in Portugal and Canada, funneling travelers toward cities like Recife and other northeastern destinations. These are not casual discussions; they represent a coordinated effort to reshape regional air traffic.
The most concrete proposal on the table is a direct route between Havana and Recife. Freixo intends to meet with executives from Gol, Brazil's largest domestic airline, in the coming week to discuss making this connection happen. A Havana-Recife link would be significant—it would create a direct bridge between Cuba's capital and one of Brazil's major northeastern cities, eliminating the need for connections through Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. For tourists, it means easier access. For the airlines involved, it means new revenue streams. For both countries, it signals a deepening of travel and tourism ties.
The timing reflects a broader shift in how Brazil sees Cuba as a destination. Tourism to the island has grown, and Brazilian officials recognize that their own Northeast region—with its beaches, culture, and relatively affordable accommodations—stands to benefit from improved connectivity. By making it easier for travelers to reach Cuba and then continue to Brazil, Embratur is essentially creating a regional tourism corridor. A tourist arriving in Havana could, with minimal friction, continue to Recife within hours.
What makes this push noteworthy is its coordination across multiple fronts. Freixo is not waiting for airlines to propose routes; he is actively approaching them with a vision. He is engaging with foreign governments, negotiating with international carriers, and working with domestic airlines. This is the kind of infrastructure work that rarely generates excitement but quietly reshapes how regions connect to one another. The conversations happening now in embassies and airline offices will determine whether a traveler in 2024 can book a seamless journey from Lisbon through Havana to Recife, or whether they remain fragmented, requiring multiple bookings and layovers in major hubs. For Brazil's Northeast, which depends heavily on tourism revenue, the difference is material.
Citas Notables
Freixo plans to discuss the matter with TAP Air Portugal executives during a trip to Portugal and pursue new routes from Lisbon and Canada to Brazil's Northeast— Folha de S. Paulo reporting on Embratur strategy
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Embratur care so much about flights through Havana specifically? Why not just focus on direct routes to Brazil?
Because Havana is a hub. If you make it easy for people to get to Cuba, some of them will continue to Brazil. It's about creating a corridor, not just a destination.
But couldn't airlines do this on their own without government involvement?
They could, but they won't without incentive. Embratur is essentially saying: we see the opportunity, we're willing to work with you to make it happen. That changes the calculus.
What does the Northeast specifically gain from this?
Direct access to international tourists who might otherwise never reach those cities. Right now, most international visitors fly into Rio or São Paulo. This creates an alternative entry point.
Is this just about tourism, or is there something political happening here too?
Both. Tourism is real—it brings money. But deepening ties with Cuba, improving connectivity, strengthening regional infrastructure—that's also a statement about Brazil's place in the hemisphere.
How long does something like this actually take to implement?
Months at minimum, more likely a year or two. These are negotiations between governments and private companies. But the fact that Freixo is already in rooms talking about it means it's serious.