People are really curious about our lifestyle, our Brazilian culture, music and food
At a trade fair in Shanghai, Brazil has signaled its intention to transform a record-breaking surge in Chinese tourism into something more enduring — not merely chasing numbers, but cultivating a relationship between two cultures whose curiosity about each other is only beginning to deepen. With 105,000 Chinese visitors arriving last year, a 34.8 percent rise, Brazil is now removing friction, building digital presence, and training its hospitality sector to meet a new kind of traveler. The ambition to double arrivals within two years reflects a broader truth: in an era of shifting global alignments, tourism has become a language of diplomacy as much as leisure.
- Brazil's 34.8% surge in Chinese arrivals last year set a record, but officials are treating it as a floor, not a ceiling — the target is to double the 105,000 figure within two years.
- The push is complicated by real infrastructure gaps: limited direct air routes, hospitality staff unprepared for Chinese guests, and a tourism circuit too concentrated around Rio and Iguazu Falls.
- Brazil is moving aggressively into China's digital ecosystem — launching on WeChat, Douyin, Rednote, and Weibo — recognizing that Chinese travelers plan, discover, and decide in spaces most foreign tourism boards have barely entered.
- Visa exemptions and strengthening bilateral ties have removed key barriers, giving the marketing campaign a structural foundation rather than just promotional momentum.
- The strategy is landing with deliberate specificity: targeting luxury travelers and Gen Z alongside retirees, and routing visitors toward underexplored destinations like Lençóis Maranhenses and the Pantanal to spread economic benefit more widely.
At the ITB China trade fair in Shanghai, Brazil's national tourism agency Embratur unveiled an ambitious two-year plan to double Chinese visitor arrivals — a goal grounded in real momentum. Last year, roughly 105,000 Chinese tourists traveled to Brazil, a 34.8 percent increase over the prior year and a new record that officials believe is only the beginning.
Embratur's director Bruno Reis was clear that the strategy goes beyond raw numbers. Brazil wants to attract a diverse mix of Chinese travelers — not only retirees, but luxury seekers and Gen Z visitors drawn to experiences, culture, music, and food. "People are really curious about our lifestyle," Reis noted, framing that curiosity as the country's most valuable asset.
The conditions are increasingly favorable. Brazil has extended visa exemptions to Chinese citizens, and the two nations have been deepening diplomatic and economic ties. To meet Chinese travelers where they actually are, Brazil has launched dedicated accounts on WeChat, Douyin, Rednote, and Weibo — platforms where trips are planned and recommendations spread organically.
Yet the campaign's ambition extends beyond marketing. Hotels nationwide are being trained to serve Chinese guests, and Brazil is actively promoting lesser-known destinations — the lagoon-studded Lençóis Maranhenses and the vast Pantanal wetlands — as alternatives to the well-worn Rio and Iguazu circuit. The intent is both to enrich the visitor experience and to distribute tourism's economic rewards more broadly across the country.
Whether the doubling target is achievable hinges on improving air connectivity and ensuring the hospitality infrastructure can absorb the growth. But the groundwork being laid now suggests Brazil is approaching this not as a campaign, but as a long-term relationship.
At a trade fair in Shanghai this week, Brazilian tourism officials made an ambitious announcement: they want to double the number of Chinese visitors to Brazil within the next two years. The numbers backing that claim are already striking. Last year, roughly 105,000 Chinese tourists traveled to Brazil—a 34.8 percent jump from the year before. It's a record, and it signals something shifting in how Chinese travelers see the country.
Bruno Reis, who runs Brazil's national tourism agency Embratur, stood at the ITB China fair and laid out the strategy plainly. The goal isn't just to attract more bodies; it's to attract the right kinds of travelers. Yes, there are retired Chinese visitors. But Reis wants luxury seekers too, and Gen Z travelers who might spend money on experiences rather than just checking boxes on a list. "People are really curious about our lifestyle, our Brazilian culture, music and food," he said. That curiosity is the opening.
The conditions for growth are aligning. Brazil recently granted visa exemptions to Chinese citizens, removing a friction point that had kept some potential travelers away. The two countries have been strengthening their diplomatic and economic ties. And now Brazil is making a formal push into China's digital world—launching a dedicated website and accounts on WeChat, Douyin, Rednote, and Weibo. These aren't afterthoughts. They're the channels where Chinese travelers actually plan trips and share recommendations.
But Reis and his team understand that doubling arrivals means more than just marketing. Hotels across Brazil are being trained to meet the expectations of Chinese guests. The country is also deliberately steering visitors away from the usual circuits—Rio, Iguazu Falls—toward less-traveled regions in the northeast and north. The Lençóis Maranhenses, with its lagoon-filled landscape, and the Pantanal wetlands, the world's largest tropical wetland, are being positioned as alternatives. It's a strategy that spreads tourism money beyond the traditional hotspots.
What's notable is the specificity of the pitch. Brazil isn't trying to be everything to everyone. It's identifying what makes the country distinct—the culture, the music, the food, the landscape—and packaging that for an audience that has money to spend and time to travel. The 34.8 percent growth last year suggests the pitch is already working. Whether Brazil can actually double that in two years depends on whether air connectivity improves, whether the digital marketing reaches the right people, and whether the hospitality infrastructure can handle the surge. But the groundwork is being laid now.
Notable Quotes
Our main goal here is to improve air connectivity. We truly believe that from a long-term perspective, we can double this number in two years.— Bruno Reis, president of Brazil's national tourism agency Embratur
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Brazil think Chinese tourists specifically are worth this much effort right now?
Because they're arriving in growing numbers and they have spending power. A 34.8 percent jump in a single year isn't noise—it's a trend. And China has a massive population of people with disposable income who are traveling more than ever before.
But couldn't that growth happen on its own without a campaign?
Maybe some of it would. But Reis is being strategic about which Chinese travelers he wants. He's not just waiting for whoever shows up. He's targeting luxury travelers and younger people, which means different marketing, different destinations, different training for hotels.
The visa exemption seems like the biggest practical change. Does that really move the needle that much?
It removes a barrier. Before, if you wanted to visit Brazil, you had to apply for a visa, wait, pay fees. Now you don't. For someone on the fence, that's often enough to tip the decision. It's not the only factor, but it matters.
Why push people toward the northeast and north instead of just letting them go to Rio and Iguazu?
Because those places are already crowded and the money concentrates there. If you can get tourists to the Pantanal or Lençóis Maranhenses, you're spreading economic benefit to regions that need it more. It's also more interesting—less worn out by tourism.
Does the digital strategy actually work, or is it just checking a box?
It's not a box. WeChat and Douyin are where Chinese travelers live. If you're not there, you don't exist to them. It's the difference between having a brochure and being part of the conversation.