Brazil in numbers: Tourism

Tourism was addressed in the publication Brazil in Numbers by IBGE (2021). With 38 years of tradition, the work brings central data for the understanding of the country: commerce, housing, agriculture, energy, security, among others receive attention. The text is presented in Portuguese and English, and has a beautiful edition, illustrated with works from the collection of the National Museum.

In the last edition, Prof. Helena Costa and Prof. Elimar Nascimento, researchers at LETS, were invited as experts on the subject Tourism .

"It was a joy to contribute with a look at tourism for such an expressive publication in Brazil. We sought to analyze important data selected by the IBGE, adding a reflection on the importance of sustainability and the context of the pandemic on the sector. At this time, it is vital to have a special look at domestic tourism", says the professor.

The work is available for free download on the IBGE website: click here

Check out the full reproduction of the text below:

Tourism presupposes the displacement of people on trips, with overnight stays. In 2019, tourism activity experienced ten consecutive years of growth at a global level. Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 4.0% in international flows in 2019, when more than 1.4 billion tourists traveled, totaling 1.7 trillion dollars in revenues generated worldwide (INTERNATIONAL..., 2021b).

The trips, however, require an understanding beyond these figures. When traveling, a relationship is established between the one who travels and the one who receives. Desirable tourism is one in which there is a memorable exchange for the traveler, and that is carried out in an attentive and responsible way towards the receiving community and the environment. Thus, tourism activity requires a systemic perspective in order to analyze its social, environmental and economic impacts on tourist origins, routes and destinations. In each of these parts of the tourism system there is an ecosystem that is highly impacted (positively and/or negatively) by the characteristics and intensities of these trips.

Among the greatest challenges of our times is the search for harmony in the dimensions of sustainability, with a view to a more balanced tourism, that is, one that contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a long-term vision. This challenge is even more pressing due to the signs of increased global warming and the current ecological crisis (loss of biodiversity, ocean pollution, soil impoverishment, etc.), added to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, tourism was one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic. Losses of 87.0% of the international flow of tourists were recorded (INTERNATIONAL..., 2021a). The data show 1 billion fewer international tourist arrivals, a reduction of 1.3 trillion dollars in revenues, alongside the potential loss of 100 to 120 million direct jobs (INTERNATIONAL..., 2021a). For Brazilian tourism, studies by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) (IMPACTO..., 2020) indicate expectations of losses of R$ 161.3 billion in the 2020-2021 biennium, corresponding to a reduction of 47.0% in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to 2019.

In the pre-pandemic period, Brazil had been drawing a slightly ascending and markedly modest line in its international tourist attraction until 2018, when it reached 6.62 million international tourists. In 2019, however, there was a slight decrease, totaling 6.35 million international tourists (Table 16.1). One of the reasons that impacted this result was the reduction in tourists from Argentina, the main source to Brazil (Table 16.1), due to the severe economic crisis that the neighboring country is facing.

International tourism in Brazil is highly dependent on South America, which accounts for more than half of this flow. Approximately 4 million South American tourists were received in 2017, as well as in 2018, and about 3.6 million in 2019. The top four emitters in 2019 were: Argentina (1,954,725 tourists), Paraguay (406,526), Chile (391,689) and Uruguay (364,830), as shown in Table 16.1.

The second world region that sends the most foreigners to Brazil is Europe, responsible for about 1.5 million tourists in 2019, with France (257,504 tourists) occupying the first place among countries. It should be noted that the largest European emitter is below the top four neighbors in the number of tourists sent to Brazil. Also in 2019, the visa release policy for the USA, Canada, Japan, and Australia came into effect, the results of which are not possible to clearly measure due to the pandemic in 2020.

The main points of arrival in Brazil between 2017 and 2019 (Table 16.2) were the states of São Paulo, which received more than 2 million of this contingent, followed by Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná. This is explained by a combination of access factors, especially in the Hubs air transport from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, as well as the close access to Rio Grande do Sul, including by land, related to the issuing markets located in the south of Brazil.

Between 2018 and 2019, the 10 cities most visited by foreigners in Brazil (Graph 16.1) also had few changes. Rio de Janeiro, which concentrates about 30.0% of the flow, continued as the main international destination, followed by Florianópolis (17.0%). Foz do Iguaçu is in third place and was the destination that showed the highest increase in percentage points in this year. ranking between 2018 and 2019, from 12.9% to 16.2%. São Paulo was in fourth place (9.4%). The cities that appear next are all coastal, such as Armação dos Búzios, Salvador, Bombinhas, Angra dos Reis, Balneário Camboriú and Paraty. This list draws attention to the necessary concern with issues related to the environmental preservation of marine ecosystems in Brazil and actions to combat the pollution of the ocean and beaches, especially by disposable plastics. After all, Brazilian tourism depends heavily on these coastal locations.

One of the macroeconomic aspects that mark Brazilian tourism in the years before the pandemic is the deficit in the balance of payments. This characteristic reveals that the total number of Brazilians traveling abroad, historically, spends more than foreigners visiting Brazil, generating imbalance. In 2018, the last year for which data is available, expenditures were US$18.2 billion (Graph 16.2), while revenues generated by international tourism in Brazil (Graph 16.3) were US$5.9 billion, totaling a deficit of US$12.3 billion, slightly lower than the previous year (Graph 16.4). In view of travel restrictions during the years 2020 and 2021, expenses and revenues are expected to be strongly reduced, however, with the likely maintenance of the deficit behavior.

In addition to looking at international tourism, it is essential to observe domestic tourism, as it is predominant in Brazil. In fact, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2021), the domestic flow in the world is estimated, on average, to be six times greater than the international one in number of overnight stays. With this weight, domestic tourism has a strong impact on the productive structuring, income generation and jobs in the sector.

Among the characteristics that mark domestic tourism in Brazil in 2019 are intrastate travel, carried out by car (47.6%) and with accommodation in the homes of relatives and friends (52.2%), according to the Continuous National Household Sample Survey - Continuous PNAD on tourism (TURISMO..., 2020). The study indicates that 21.8% of the national households surveyed had at least one trip, totaling 21.4 million trips analyzed, 96.0% of them within Brazil. Trips for personal reasons (86.0%) stand out, especially to visit relatives (36.0%) or enjoy leisure (31.0%). Among the most attractive segments, sun and beach occupy the first place in motivations (34.3%), followed by the search for culture (27.2%) and nature/ecotourism/adventure (25.9%). The Southeast Region is both the largest emitter of the domestic tourism market in Brazil, and the largest receiver. The three most visited regions were Southeast (39.5%), Northeast (27.8%) and South (16.5%). As for the destinations sought, by Federation Unit (UF), the top five stand out: São Paulo (18.9%), Minas Gerais (12.8%), Bahia (8.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (6.7%) and Rio de Janeiro (5.8%), which, together, cover more than half of the national demand (52.9%).

The functioning of the tourism sector involves a very diversified production chain. These are businesses linked to activities such as: accommodation, agency, entertainment, food, transportation, events, souvenirs, among others, which are articulated so that tourism becomes an attractive service. This offer is marked by small businesses. According to the Ministry of Tourism, 90.0% of the companies registered in the Registration System of Individuals and Companies Operating in the Tourism Sector (Cadastur)3 are micro or small. Of the total, almost 30 thousand tourism agencies (Table 16.3) were present in the offer registered in 2019.

The expectation for the years 2020 and 2021 is a drastic reduction in flows as a result of the severity of the pandemic in Brazil and the international restrictions imposed on the country as a result. Consequently, a decrease in the productive base of tourism is expected, which will rebound on enterprises in locations that have the sector as an important economic vector. Global prospective studies that address the behavior of the post-pandemic tourism sector predict a gradual resumption of tourism activities, especially through short-term trips, close to the place of residence and with new experiences in places without agglomerations. Opportunities are expected, especially for tourism in rural and natural areas, aimed at learning culture and gastronomy. Although the moment is surrounded by uncertainties, it demands innovations to take advantage of opportunities, along with the different profiles of tourists.

Domestic tourism, in addition to already being the main generator of tourist flows in the country, will tend to be the basis for the recovery of the sector in the immediate post-COVID period, following global trends. Vaccination is a key factor for this movement, as traveling is the second highest aspiration of Brazilians as soon as they are vaccinated against COVID-19 (19.0%), preceded only by the desire to meet family members again (31.0%) (COVID..., 2021). However, during the pandemic, especially on holidays, displacements have already been observed in Brazil that caused agglomerations in popular tourist destinations, raising an alert in the construction of tourism appropriate to the new times.

To face the future, it is important that Brazil becomes more robust in the restructuring of domestic tourism, in a set of actions that articulate the public and private sectors to promote unique, high-quality and safe experiences. The coming years also point to the need for innovative public tourism policies, which incorporate sustainability as a central element in a strategy to value the country's unique natural and cultural assets.

References

COVID and vaccination: survey reveals the feeling of Brazilians after a year of pandemic. Febraban Observatory , São Paulo: Brazilian Federation of Banks - Febraban, mar. 2021. Available at: https://news.febraban.org.br/pesquisa/2021/ March. Accessed in: May 2021.

Economic impact of COVID-19: proposals for Brazilian tourism. Rio de Janeiro: FGV Press, 2020. Available at: https://fgvprojetos.fgv.br/sites/ fgvprojetos.fgv.br/files/01.covid19_impactoeconomico_v09_compressed_1.pdf. Accessed in: May 2021.

INTERNATIONAL tourism and Covid-19 dashboard. Madrid: World Tourism Organization - UNWTO, 2021a. Available at: https://www.unwto.org/ international-tourism-and-covid-19. Accessed in: May 2021.

INTERNATIONAL tourism highlights 2020. Madrid: World Tourism Organization – UNWTO, 2021b. Available at: https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/ book/10.18111/9789284422456. Accessed in: May 2021.

TOURISM 2019. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE, 2020. 8 p. Above the title: Continuous National Household Sample Survey. Available at: https:/www. ibge.gov.br/estatisticas/multidominio/turismo/17270-pnad-continua. html?edition=28243&t=about. Accessed in: May 2021.

To cite this text, use the original source: Costa, H. and Nascimento, E. (2021) . Tourism. In Brazil in Numbers, vol 29, p. 335-345.