Rio Gastronomy 2026 can move the Rio economy at R $ 66.4 million

O Gastronomy River 2026 has potential to move R $ 66.4 million in the carioca economy. This shows the special study “Gastronomy River 2026: Potential Economic Impacts s”, developed by the Prefeitura do Rio, through the Riotur and the Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development (SMDE), in partnership with Editora Globo. The estimate considers the expenses of the participants of the event, the consumption of tourists and cariocas motivated by the programming, the value of tickets, investments in infrastructure and the remuneration of the workers involved in the event.

The potential impact of the event occurs in a sector that already has a strong presence in the city's economy. According to data from the Annual Social Information Report (RAIS), the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), Rio has 6,000 formal establishments of bars and restaurants. Barra da Tijuca (12.3%), Center (11.2%), Copacabana (7.1%), Botafogo (5.2%) and Tijuca (3.6%) concentrate almost 40% of these establishments.

In addition to gathering thousands of businesses, the segment is responsible for a significant portion of the city's formal labor market. There are 67,000 workers employed in bars and restaurants. Barra da Tijuca (16.5%), Center (10%), Copacabana (8.3%), Botafogo (6.7%) and Ipanema (5.3%) are the five districts with the highest concentration of jobs, bringing together more than 40% of the total. The sector also plays a strategic role in tourism, contributing to the experience of visitors and the movement of the economy in different regions of the city.

The expansion of the labor market in recent years reinforces this economic relevance. Between January 2021 and June 2026, 20.5 thousand new formal jobs were generated in the bar and restaurant sector in Rio, according to data from CAGED, Ministry of Labor and Employment. In June 2026, the average wage of the segment workers in the city was R$ 2,535, in values deflated by IPCA. With this, the annual salary of formal workers of bars and restaurants reaches R $ 2 billion.