In the first three months of 2023, Brazilian tourism revenues gained R$ 8.2 billion (about US$1.7 billion), a growth of 25.4% compared to last year, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In March, the tourism sector income increased by 14.6% in the annual comparison.
The air transport sector saw the most considerable variation, with 29.8% yearly growth. Revenues reached just over R$ 6 billion, the highest for the month of the historical series, which began in 2011.
According to information from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), the number of passengers transported in March increased by 15.5%. These travelers paid, on average, 50% more to travel compared to the year-ago values, a situation that led to an increase in revenue. The second most significant variation was water transport, which increased by 17.6%. However, revenues were only R$ 52 million, which did not affect total performance. Nevertheless, the solidity of the segment's growth is evident.
Land transportation also demonstrated a revenue increase of 8.7%, totaling R$ 3.1 billion, the highest performance for the month.
After the pandemic, bus travel has become more popular among consumers due to the high cost of airline tickets.
The accommodation and food services sector advanced 9.5% in March, registering R$ 5.1 billion. The group of car rental agencies and tour operators showed annual growth of 8.2% and earned R $ 2.9 billion in the month.