Rio projects to receive 3.5 million tourists in the autumn of 2026

Rio must record a new advance in tourist flow during the autumn of 2026. The estimate of the City Hall, through the Municipal Tourism Secretariat and the Riotur, is that about 3.5 million visitors pass through the city between March 20th and June 21st, a growth of 10% in relation to the same period of 2025. The report is based on the Carioca Tourism Observatory.

In the last year, the city received 3.2 million tourists in the last autumn season, most of which were national travellers (84.7%), while foreigners accounted for 15.3% of the total. The projected increase reinforces the trend of strengthening tourism throughout the year, beyond the high summer season.

Economic movement must also follow this advance. According to estimates of the portfolios, the financial impact of tourism in the period can reach R$ 7.6 billion.

Shakira effect and other events

Among the factors that drive positive expectation are the holding of major events and the presence of prolonged holidays in the calendar. The period will feature four holidays, as well as large attractions, such as the "Todo Mundo no Rio" project with Shakira in Copacabana and the Web Summit Rio, which help attract visitors and move sectors such as bars, restaurants and commerce.

The calculation of the economic impact considers the average expenditure of R$ 1,887 per Brazilian tourist and R$ 3.707 per foreign visitor. The data are based on the study “Tourism in Rio de Janeiro: A recent overview of the main indicators”, developed by the Institute of Research and Analysis, with values updated until February 2026.

Visitor expenses include a broad economic chain, including accommodation, food, transportation, leisure, shopping and various services. The city maintains, through the Secretariat of Economic Development, a technical cooperation agreement with IFec RJ to conduct studies that accompany the performance of tourism and guide strategic actions for the sector.