Tourism moves R $ 22.5 billion in the economy of Rio until August 2026

Tourism continues as one of the important drivers of Rio's economy. In the first eight months of 2026, between January and August, the economic movement associated with tourists who visited the city is estimated at R$ 22.5 billion. Of this total, 67.3%, equivalent to R$ 15.2 billion, correspond to national tourists, while 32.7%, about R$ 7.4 billion, refer to international visitors.

In the same period, Rio de Janeiro received approximately 8.5 million tourists. National visitors represent the largest portion of this flow, with 6.9 million people (81.2 %), while 1.6 million (18.8%) came from other countries.

The data on the tourist flow are from the Carioca Tourism Observatory of the Municipal Tourism Secretariat (SMTUR-Rio). The estimate of economic movement was calculated based on the study Panorama Tourist – Domestic and international tourism 2025, conducted by the Federal Institute of Research and Analysis (IFec RJ).

How the economic impact is calculated

To reach the estimate of economic movement, the average expenditures of national and international tourists were considered. In the case of Brazilian visitors, the average expenditure used was R$ 2,206, updated to August 2026 values and deflated by the National Index of Consumer Prices Ample (IPCA).

For foreign tourists, an average expenditure of US$ 4.647 was considered, calculated from the IFec RJ study and updated by the exchange rate of August 2026.

The estimate therefore combines the number of visitors registered in the period with the average expenditure attributed to each tourist profile, allowing to measure the economic impact of tourism in the city.

Studies that contribute to the analysis of tourism activity are part of the partnership between the Prefeitura do Rio, through the Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development (SMDE), and the Federal Institute of Research and Analysis (IFec RJ). The municipality maintains a Technical Cooperation Agreement with IFec RJ for the production of economic studies, including tourism-related analyses.

The figures reinforce the relevance of tourism to the Rio economy and show the weight of both domestic and international markets in the movement generated by the sector in the city.